Split in Pieces
by A Stereotypical Gamer
Summary: Ancient magics conspired to bring about the creation of a single life that would change the fate of Remnant. In another time and place, that never came to pass. Semblances cut gaps in the barriers and echoes now pass between. In the end, a mother's love may be the key to the salvation of two worlds... or to their undoing. Alternate Volume 5. Cover art by Redditor GrapesWithCoffee.
1. The Spring Knight

**Split in Pieces**

By A Stereotypical Gamer

* * *

 **Chapter One: The Spring Knight**

Her Scroll kept ringing, multiple contacts calling out to her. She knew what they were trying to say. She knew they were urging her to hurry, because their lines were falling away.

In the distance she felt the metal of Atlesian paladins rending under the weight of their enemies. The city walls were holding out, but any troops deployed beyond it were already dead, whether they continued to fight off the darkness or not.

One by one the number of contacts trying to reach her started to dwindle... she sensed the ships laden with civilians heading away, abandoning the kingdom and falling back to Atlas. Vale was about to be lost, and everyone still fighting was willingly trading their lives to buy time for the retreat.

She hadn't found it yet... the gap was still eluding her, sliding through her fingers time and again...

She felt the metal rend as the Grimm overran the streets. She could hear ancient stone walls break against the weight of Goliaths smashing against them in the distance. She tried not to look. She kept digging deeper for it.

But she couldn't help but look as the darkness drew nearer, led by a point of immense, brilliant light: a single brilliant shine amidst the black. Of course he'd be leading them. Of course he'd come for her.

She was getting a firmer grip. She just needed more time.

The Grimm were attacking every building they passed, searching for lives to snuff out... searching for relief from the pain they felt at having to follow after such a strong Aura they could never hope to snuff out.

The light was why Salem chose him. Because there was no better way to shatter hope than by taking the best and corrupting them, to make even light as terrible and frightening as darkness. And Queen though she may have been, Salem never concerned herself with causing the Grimm pain. She far preferred letting her prince run wild to the well-being of her subjects.

And he was looking for her... seeking to add her to his charges, to brand her as his slave...

She was sitting on the ground when he finally tore open the entrance to her bunker. She broke her concentration long enough to raise her left hand and slam metal shards against him, trying to buy herself a moment longer. If she failed to reach the gap, she'd have nowhere to retreat to... she'd just be captured by the Fall Knight and left to his corrupting Aura.

But that same Aura allowed him to take a brutal and protracted beating. He couldn't hope to match Pyrrha's combat prowess -much less her Semblance- but his endurance and durability were unsurpassed. Every attack she hit him with only delayed him, as his enormous Aura just let him keep walking through her barrage.

She had to find it. He was going to reach her...

"Hello, Pyrrha," he greeted with a terrifying grin. "Did you miss me?"

"Hello, Jaune," she greeted, stiff and formal.

"Don't be so cold," Jaune instructed. "Or are you disappointed? I honestly thought Vale would hold out longer with you here to guard them..."

Normally that would be true. Normally her powers would be enough to defend the kingdom, but when she decided to try and find the gap her attention had been divided. And when Salem's forces blitzed them without their guardian at the ready...

"I suppose even you had to get lucky sometimes," was Pyrrha's dismissive answer, trying to stall as she could. She knew he'd want to gloat. If she played along for a moment, maybe... _maybe_...

Jaune laughed. "Listen to your bluster. I really hoped 'the invincible girl' would give me a fight before she was forced to surrender. Honestly, I'm disappointed..."

"You and me both," Pyrrha replied. This time she couldn't quite conceal her genuine sorrow behind frosty formality. When she met him, and he treated her with such kindness, Pyrrha had briefly wondered if -for the first time in her life- she'd fallen in love. Yet the man who stood before her now was not the boy she'd first met. Salem had warped him into the Fall Knight. Salem had robbed him of his soul, leaving only that corrupted Aura behind.

Just like she then took Lie, robbing Pyrrha again. One loss after another compounding, leading her to this moment when she searched, when she dug through the magnetic field to find the bloody stain between worlds.

The Fall Knight was drawing nearer. He'd apparently had enough fun.

She hadn't tightened her grip. She still couldn't reach...

The Fall Knight was struck from behind. He sailed right past Pyrrha and landed flat on his face. He was quick to recover and whipped his head around in a frenzy. "Who-?"

"The lady didn't seem keen on your advances," his assailant remarked, his weapon -Melodic Cudgel- still smoking from the discharge of his shot. He reached up to tip his bowler hat. "You can look, but I don't think you can touch."

"Roman!" Pyrrha realized, immensely relieved. She returned her left hand to the floor, tightening her focus.

He'd given her the chance. She couldn't squander it. Not when Roman remaining in the kingdom would almost certainly cost him his life.

"Traitor!" the Fall Knight raged, forcing himself back to his feet and rushing right past Pyrrha to clash his sword with Roman Torchwick's cane. "When I'm through with you, that little hat of yours' won't have a head to sit on!"

"And I'll still be prettier than you," Roman promised. He couldn't hope to match the Fall Knight's strength, so he let the blonde's anger work against him, sidestepping and letting the Fall Knight stumble forward and hit the ground again. Roman pelted his back with one shot after another while he was down, smothering Pyrrha's former friend in concussion rounds. "Hurry with whatever you're doing, kid- I can't hold him for long."

She couldn't dishonor his request. If she helped now they might fend the Fall Knight off, but then she'd have wasted time trying to focus her grip for nothing and have to start again. Roman was giving her one final chance...

She saw it, the tiny tear. She'd lost her grip on it again and again, but this time...

The Fall Knight stood up, tanking every hit Roman dealt before clashing sword with cane again. "Have you missed your pet, Torchwick? She missed you terribly for a long time..."

Pyrrha knew Roman was cool under pressure. In every circumstance but one.

"I worked it out of her system eventually," the Fall Knight boasted. "She learned who her master was, but every now and then she sheds a tear when I mention your name. I still haven't quite broken her... you should be proud."

Roman finally broke as his adversary intended, attacking in a blind frenzy. And without his usual calm, dispassionate calculation, Roman was _not_ a match for the Fall Knight. None of them could match him in raw power.

Pyrrha tried not to let the battle before her draw her attention. She reached to the gap one final time, trying to hold the slippery middle between the mutiple lines of magnetism encircling the planet.

There was no other hope but this one. Not for her, not for Roman, not for Lie, not for Jaune...

Only a fool's hope, a gateway that may not have led anywhere at all...

She relaxed her grip, trying not to be too firm. To her surprise, she found it easier to hold. She tried to caress it rather than squeeze it, to allow her entrance rather than force her way in.

The ground opened beneath her as the portal drew nearer.

Roman was flung to the ground by the Fall Knight. He fought on still, unloading shot after shot at him, still struggling to buy Pyrrha time.

He glanced her way, two pairs of green eyes meeting.

"Thank you," Pyrrha whispered.

Roman spent much of his life as a thief. More than once Pyrrha recalled her new friends in Vale cursing his name. How odd it was to think he'd become the last line of defense for the kingdom. How odd it was to think he deserved to be thought of as one of Vale's greatest heroes, if even only at the end.

She hoped he took solace in that.

The ground ripped open beneath her. Pyrrha fell down through shattered metal and crumbling rock. She saw the Fall Knight standing above reaching after her, his Aura growing fainter as Pyrrha fell away.

" **NO!** " he raged, watching his prize slip through his fingers.

Pyrrha could relate. She'd tried a firm, commanding grip and always lost her target. If he'd remained the kind boy he'd been, if he'd never been tainted by Salem's silver-tongued promises, Jaune could've held to her and never once lost her.

In another life...

She fell backwards through the tear, disappearing in the gap between worlds... continuing to fall...

* * *

The Spring Knight stared up at her body still hanging from the rafters of Salem's keep. He'd made sure her hammer was crossed over her, to remind any onlooker that she had been a warrior... that her death had not come easily.

He thought on that day, when Pyrrha shoved him with tears in her eyes, demanding to know why he killed their teammate -their dear friend- and he had been unable to answer her. His final moment of guilt, his final moment of doubt.

From the girl hanging above him, many more memories. Many more reasons to feel guilty.

They were fading. Eventually, they'd all be gone, subsumed by the power bestowed on him.

In time, Lie Ren would be gone. There would only be the Spring Knight, first prince and heir to the throne.

"Musing again, my child?"

The Spring Knight turned to look at his mother, knowing she was concerned. He thought about lying, but ultimately decided to be honest. He was never able to lie to her. "The past is on my mind tonight, my Queen. I'm sorry... it's been haunting me."

"I wish I could say that wasn't the case," Salem acknowledged. "But there may be a good reason."

The Spring Knight raised his eyebrow. "Mother?"

Salem's expression turned fierce. "Pyrrha Nikos has made things much more complicated for us. We have need of you again, my son. We need you to bring us the anomaly."

"Of course, mother," the Spring Knight agreed. "I will do whatever is necessary."

She reached up to caress her son's cheek. "Thank you, Lie. I knew I could count on you."

No guilt. Just pride. Pride from his family.

In time that would be all he'd feel.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Yang hadn't really been looking forward to this meeting. She knew when she beat up Raven's lackeys she'd reached the point of no return; that she had to see this through now. That only made the task seem all the more frightening, because no matter how many times she'd thought on what she'd say or practiced how she might address her estranged mother, right then –in the moment- she had feet of clay. She rooted herself in place and forced herself to look ahead, refusing to let her doubts stay her hand.

She wasn't going to let Raven see her fear. She wasn't going to give her mother any satisfaction in thinking she'd been right to leave Yang behind.

When Raven did finally emerge from her massive tent, Yang looked on with one hand on her hip, glaring ahead, trying to project confidence; even defiance. She then grunted out a harsh: " _Mom._ "

The woman standing before her in her red armor and Grimm mask stood stoic. "Do I… _know_ you?"

Her face mask betrayed no emotion, but her tone sounded… genuinely confused. It might've been some sort of tactic, trying to pretend that Yang wasn't her child; that Raven for some reason didn't want to acknowledge her in front of the other bandits. Yang's left hand was twitching at the response, and she reached down to grasp her wrist and try and steady herself, eventually crossing her arms to hide her shaking limb. "You know that I searched for you. I spent _years_ looking for you."

"And you've found me," was Raven's flippant reply. "What do you want?"

Yang's answer to that question had changed many times, but at the moment she was able to focus on what she wanted. "My sister is with Qrow and they're both somewhere in Mistral… and she's going to need my help."

"Qrow?" Raven repeated.

"Yes," Yang confirmed. "I need you to take me to them."

"Done," Raven replied. Even _the bandits_ seemed surprised at how quickly Raven acquiesced. Yang was still eyeing her mother suspiciously… surely it couldn't be _this_ easy.

Raven lifted her right hand from grasping the base of her scabbard and extended it out to Yang. Though wary, Yang _did_ slowly approach, watching Raven take her left hand and unsheathe the blade, though keeping it pointed towards the ground, rather than elevated. Yang thought she'd seen her mother hold that sword with her _right_ hand at Mountain Glenn…

But that thought became moot when Raven cut open a portal and the swirling mass of red and black before her. She took in the sight for several seconds before composing her thoughts: "Can that thing fit a motorcycle?"

"Try not to be too long," Raven requested, looking at the portal –or at least Yang _thought_ that was where her eyes were- and sounding quite… eager? Excited? Why would her mother be so interested in seeing Qrow but not care at all about seeing her daughter waltz into Raven's house and demand a favor?

Yang tried to rationalize that Raven would be eager to be finished; maybe she was expecting some greater demand, some higher toll from Yang than Yang ended up asking for. And really, a quick use of her Semblance wouldn't cost her more than a few minutes of her day, and Raven could go back to paying Yang no heed with minimal exposure.

Yang led her bike up the steps to Raven's tent, and Raven was already halfway through the gate. Yang focused on the back of her mother's head, on that long mane of spikey black hair as they stepped through a dark pathway towards the family Yang knew she was eager to reunite with, and would likely give her a warmer reception than Raven had.

As the chieftess departed, Vernal walked over to check on their prisoner, the former heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. The white-haired girl glanced up at her captor and inquired: "What was _that_ about?"

Vernal wasn't sure, but she managed to keep that doubt to herself. "Someone wanted an audience with the boss." She thought carefully on how to describe the outcome. "You won't be hearing from her again."

Weiss scoffed and turned her attention from Vernal, waiting for her jailer to turn her eye elsewhere so she could return to plotting her escape…

* * *

Qrow was on his way out of the tavern after dropping off a Lien card; settling an old friend's debts. It had been a very disappointing day already, and paying on behalf of a departed friend made it all the more somber. He'd barely taken a step out the door of the establishment when he heard the familiar sound of a portal opening… a sound he'd never quite grown accustomed to, no matter how many times he heard it. He _never_ expected to see her, no matter how many times she'd dropped in to visit him.

"Raven?" Qrow asked incredulously, raising his arm as though half-expecting her to attack him… and when Raven did emerge and he saw someone walking behind her bearing some heavy load, Qrow was anticipating a surprise attack by her bandit buddies. Maybe she'd gotten wind of him telling Leo he knew the location of her camp…

But those concerns evaporated when the second figure came clearly into view: a lot like her mother but with blonde locks and eyes a near perfect blend of her mother's red and her father's blue. "Yang!" he exclaimed, genuinely pleased to see her and stepping towards her, as Raven reached up to remove her helmet.

He was sure there was a story there… he knew Yang had been out looking for her. He couldn't wait to see the look of displeasure on Raven's face and whatever lame excuse she had to offer about being forced to help on her daughter's behalf.

Yet when she _did_ finally reveal her face, Qrow was just… confused. She was smiling broadly, but tears were slowly sliding down her cheeks. Raven gave such a high pitched _squee_ for a brief moment Qrow thought Ruby had snuck up on him and covered up whatever exclamation Raven made. Raven rushed over and embraced him, squeezing him tightly in a hug and resting her head to his shoulder.

"I've missed you so much, brother," Raven muttered. "I thought for sure you were gone…"

Raven thought he was _dead_? Well, actually, that made sense… the last time she'd dropped by to visit him he'd been badly poisoned and Qrow specifically waved her off, assuring her he wasn't going to die that night. And then he very nearly had, suffering through several agonizing days in a delirious state, even as his niece and her friends had to face off with an ancient and very dangerous Grimm.

He hadn't seen this emotion from Raven in a _very_ long time… probably not since she'd returned to leading the bandits. Qrow looked past Raven to Yang, who seemed every bit as stunned by Raven's emotional response as he was. If not more so.

Raven did finally release Qrow from her grip and step back, reaching up a hand to wipe her tears away. Qrow awkwardly coughed as he said: "Yeah, I'm uh… I got through that whole thing okay."

"I never should've doubted it," Raven admitted. "For a moment I couldn't reach you, and I thought the worst."

Qrow looked past Raven again to a still stunned Yang and asked: "You okay, Firecracker?"

Yang abruptly shook her head and composed herself before asking: "Where's Ruby? Is she here with you?"

Between them, Raven abruptly stiffened. Qrow was about to answer Yang when he noticed Raven's reaction, stopping himself. "Um… something wrong? Something _else_ , I mean?"

Raven took hold of Qrow's arm and led him a few feet away. "How does this girl know about Ruby? Did you tell her? Did Tai? How do you even know her, anyway?"

Qrow was now _very_ confused, but not quite so confused he couldn't get a dig in. "She's my niece. My sister's kid."

Raven tightened her grip on his arm, her fingers squeezing like a vice. " _How does she know about Ruby?_ "

"Kinda hard for her to miss her sister," was Qrow's deadpan explanation. "Why do you care, anyway?"

"Why do I-" Raven was incredulous in demanding, but stopped herself as her eyes widened. "That girl said her sister was here. With you."

"Um-" was Qrow's cogent reply.

"Ruby's here," Raven realized. "Ruby's _alive._ "

She released her grip on Qrow's arm and reached for her sword. Both Qrow and Yang were quick to ready their own weapons, only to watch Raven cut the air beside her and form a portal. Raven rushed into it so quickly they didn't even have time to shout at her before she'd vanished.

"What was _that_ all about?" Yang asked, refocusing her attention faster than Qrow had.

"She seemed surprise to hear Ruby was alive," Qrow replied. "Shocked, even." Then he glanced back at Yang. "And she doesn't seem to realize _you're_ her daughter."

"Yeah, I thought that was her putting on a show for her buddies at the camp," Yang replied. "But that doesn't matter. Why would she be interested in Ruby?"

"And why would she take a portal?" Qrow asked. "Two of the only people she can reach are standing right here…" He stopped reading into it. "I don't know what she's doing but _something_ is very wrong here. Let's get you to Ruby, Firecracker- I'm sure she'll be glad to see you."

* * *

Raven searched for the Aura; the light that would guide her out of the dark pathways. She had no wish to remain any longer than necessary, lest the denizens of this gap between dimensions recognize her presence. Raven wouldn't have made this trip at all had the information not come from Qrow… she _had_ to be there. Raven would take whatever risk she had to if it meant there was _any_ chance of seeing her again…

The light _was_ there, but Raven had no anchor to it. Her own Aura should've been there, burning bright from the moment Raven forged the bond. Raven remembered feeling it fade away, just as Summer's had… remembered the pain she herself felt when that life slipped away.

She'd have to go in blind. She'd braved far worse for Ruby's sake before.

Raven aimed as close as she could to the Aura on the other side of the dark. She cut and hoped she wouldn't end up inside a wall.

Close. She tumbled through several feet of air before landing hard on a wooden floor. Raven instantly shot to her feet, sword still at the ready as she glanced around at a coffee table and a few comfortable chairs and couches surrounding it… searching for the child that had returned from the dead.

"Ruby?" she called.

Raven heard shuffling from an adjacent room. Then the sound of metal transforming; a weapon changing from one shape to another.

She was on her guard. Good. She remembered what her mother taught her.

But it wasn't Ruby who emerged from that nearby room, but two others… a tall boy with short blonde hair and an old fashioned sword and shield flanked by a shorter girl in a pink skirt with a blazing orange head, carrying a very dangerous looking hammer. Raven eyed them both, curious… she didn't recognize either of them, though the girl looked _vaguely_ familiar…

"Who are you?" that orange-haired girl demanded. "How did you get in here?"

Raven looked past her. There was someone else in the kitchen, poking out past the wall with a red scythe compacted into a sniper rifle… and a silver eye looking through its scope.

Raven nearly broke down right there, the tears welling in her eyes again. She dropped her sword, barely hearing it clatter to the ground, she was so overcome by what was waiting in front of her. "Ruby…"

Ruby lowered her scythe and looked on, confused. Her two friends looked just as surprised; why was everyone so surprised? Why were things so off?

Raven didn't worry about the two armed kids in her path. She'd knock them out of her way if she had to, just to embrace her child again. Still, she was relieved when she dashed past and neither raised their weapons or leapt in her path.

Raven opened her arms and pulled Ruby to her, hugging her even tighter than she had Qrow. She pulled Ruby's head to her chest with one hand and leaned down, listening to every breath that came from her lips. Raven was momentarily worried she might harm the poor girl with the fervent affection received, but there was no way she could relax her grip. She had needed this feeling and gone without it too long. She wasn't sure she'd even be _able_ to let go.

Ruby quite enjoyed hugs, but they weren't usually her method of greeting someone she didn't know. After her initial confusion, however, Ruby did reach her arms to this tall woman's back, trying to offer a reassuring pat or two. The woman embracing her now was sobbing above Ruby's head; it seemed like she _really needed_ a hug.

Raven tried to stifle her sobbing, so her poor girl wouldn't have to hear it. But try as she might, she couldn't help it. She'd thought her daughter gone forever, and here she was in her arms… Raven hadn't just had a wish granted, she'd been _restored to life_ by holding Ruby again. When Raven did finally relax her grip and draw back, she just looked over her girl… taking in every feature, desperate to see it all. When did she start wearing that red hood and how had it become so tattered? And why was she wearing her hair so short?

Questions for later. Now there was her daughter, and Raven couldn't be happier. She pulled Ruby into a hug again, repeatedly kissing her cheek and forehead, sobs intermingling with brief bouts of uncontrollable laughter.

Ruby thought that was a bit too familiar. "Um… I'm not sure what you-" And at once the woman stopped, drawing back to listen to Ruby speak, smiling fondly even as fresh tears remained plastered to her cheeks.

Ruby was again at a loss for words. Why was this person so happy to see her? Where did she know her from?

She looked a lot like Yang…

A lot like…

"Raven?" Ruby wondered.

Raven was surprised by the remark. Ruby barely even called her that when talking about her to other people. Still, she composed herself quickly, overjoyed to hold her child again. "My beautiful rose," she whispered.

Now Ruby looked _quite_ uncomfortable. She may not want her mother to use any nicknames in front of her friends… whoever these two were. "I… uh… wow, okay, can we just… back up a bit?"

Raven couldn't help the public display of affection, but Ruby was right: she _should_ dial things back a bit in front of company. "You're right, sweetie, I'm sorry. Please, just tell me how you've been. I haven't seen you since you transferred early to Beacon."

"Beacon?" Ruby repeated, before glancing past Raven to Jaune and Nora, who were –if anything- even more lost than she was. "Beacon _fell_. Haven't you heard?"

"What?" Raven asked, eyes widening again. "Who did it?"

"Salem," Ruby replied.

"No, I mean- who did she send? Was it the Spring Knight?" Raven asked.

"Spring… Knight?" Ruby repeated.

Raven was growing increasingly distraught. Salem's knight had robbed her of so much, and she'd warned Ruby time and again to be wary of him. Why didn't she know the name? Why didn't she _fear_ it?

"And the relic," Raven refocused her attention again. "Does Salem have it?"

"Um, Professor Ozpin said-"

"Ozpin?!" Raven's concerns grew exponentially. "What did he say? What did he try and convince you to do?!"

Her grip tightened on Ruby's shoulder… tightened so much there was _pain_ in her beautiful silver eyes.

Raven abruptly released her poor daughter, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I… I just need you to fill me in now. I need to know what's going on here. What did Ozpin tell you?"

Ruby's expression switched from confused to a bit more determined; a fierce look Raven rarely saw from her. "Why do you need to know?"

"Ruby, please, just tell me what's happened, just tell me where-" the sound of a door opening cut off Raven's line of inquiry as she whipped her head around to see who was joining them. His face was obscured by a bunch of grocery bags, but that green garb he was wearing…

She saw his pink eye emerge from behind the bag. She'd seen it so often -from across a battlefield and from inches away- she could never forget the sight.

Her sword was on the ground. Those other two kids were in her path.

But he would _not_ take her daughter. Not again.

Raven took advantage of everyone's surprise and dashed forward again, hoisting up her sword and leveling it at the boy in green. He dropped the bags, food spilling out on the wooden floor as he reached for weapons holstered on either of his legs.

"Spring Knight!" Raven snarled. "You will not take her from me again!"

The two others at her back reacted. The girl with orange hair hadn't waited any longer; she was attacking Raven's unprotected back. Raven didn't want to risk taking her eyes off the Spring Knight but had to knock her away… though she _tried_ not to hurt the poor girl too badly by hitting with the flat of her sword.

"Stop it!" Raven snapped. "Don't you know who this is? Get Ruby out of here! Get her away from him!"

The Spring Knight had his weapons leveled but had not fired. "Why would I be after Ruby?"

He wasn't a liar; he was always straightforward with his intent. Why was he lying now?

Raven narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what game you're playing, but there's no way I'm letting you _or_ Salem get your hands on my dau-"

A shot rang out from somewhere behind her. A Dust crystal exploded against Raven's back, ice moving to pin her arms and wrap around her. Raven whirled her head around to see which of them had-

Saw Ruby holding her sniper rifle, smoke rising from the barrel…

Her child… her own daughter… shot her in the back?

"Ruby…" was all Raven could say as she stumbled forward, landing hard against the wood. The orange-haired girl pounced on her, striking with her hammer.

Before she was knocked out, Raven thought back to the moment she'd met Ruby… Tai mourning the loss of his beloved Summer, Raven walking over to comfort her dear friend and looking down to see that little speck of red in her hair and those big pools of silver… of falling so deeply in love she left the bandits for good to be the mother Summer's baby girl would need.

And as one Raven lost consciousness…

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

… another returned to it, lying bound on a stone floor. Raven glanced around, spotting a boy with long black hair with his back to her, dropping to one knee and crossing his right arm over his chest. "I have brought the anomaly, my Queen."

"There's no need for such formality, Lie," Raven knew the voice, but had never known it to speak in such a soft and affectionate way. Raven craned her neck up a little higher to see Salem reach a hand down to the black-haired boy, who rose to his feet. To Raven's astonishment, Salem _embraced_ him with a hug, with affection that seemed _entirely genuine_.

"Momma's boy," scoffed someone else in the room. The boy Salem called 'Lie' glared to his right, and Raven followed his gaze… and had to squint by the Aura so devastatingly bright it lit up the room. Raven could just barely make him out through the overpowering light, taking in blonde hair and blue eyes and a powerful frame… and a few others behind him, standing with bowed heads. Two girls: one with long black hair and shining amber eyes and another with darker skin and bright green hair and red eyes not unlike Raven's own. He put his arms over the shoulders of either woman, and each of them seemed increasingly uncomfortable… though at the same time they didn't seem _bothered_ by his touch, just sort of… flushed.

"There's no need for such malignance," Salem scolded. "At least your brother has _some_ sense of propriety."

The blonde boy snorted. "Oh, tell me again how he's your favorite, how he does no wrong, how he's your perfect little knight."

"Save it, Jaune," the boy Lie snapped, removing himself from Salem's embrace. "You are _not_ going to ruin this for me…" He turned his attention back towards Raven, and when he turned and she could clearly see his face she saw a deep scar running between his pink eyes, over his nose. "… I've been waiting a long time to bring this one to heel."

"Oh, so you're going to break her, then?" Jaune inquired. "That's a first. I thought you'd _never_ claim one after you lost the little orange-haired girl. Didn't know your tastes skewed older."

Those pink eyes were suddenly caught aflame in white hot Aura as Lie turned to glare at Jaune. The intense gaze terrified the girls on either of his arms, but Jaune's only response was a satisfied smirk.

"That's enough," Salem interceded. "Jaune, if you want to be present for this, then be silent. Otherwise go play with your toys in another room."

"Not a bad idea…" Jaune mused, glancing between either woman with a lecherous sort of smile.

Raven's thoughts were focused on the Aura she'd seen in Lie's eyes. She'd seen it before in her own… and before that in others who hosted the gift.

Why - _how_ \- was the Maiden's power inside a man?

The sound of a slowly creaking door drew Raven's attention. Salem, Lie, and even Jaune all stood at attention. The two women removed themselves from Jaune's arms and dropped to the ground on all fours, prostrating themselves on the stone floor. Lie dropped to kneel, and eventually Jaune did the same, albeit reluctantly.

Light footsteps drew ever closer. Salem smiled fondly. "Welcome back, my love."

Raven strained her head around to see, but there was little need. He hoisted her up to meet her eye personally.

She knew those brown eyes and that gray hair. She knew that green shirt and unbuttoned vest. She'd just heard he was dead. "Professor," she greeted formally. "Finally dropping the pretense?"

Ozpin held her gaze only a moment before looking over at Salem. "I thought you said you'd found her."

"I did, my liege," Lie interjected, head still pointed to the floor. "I have found the thief who stole a piece of your essence."

"Is that what you're telling your children now, Ozpin?" Raven scoffed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're re-writing history."

Ozpin refocused his attention on her, curious. "I see why you made the mistake. She has been touched by power. But it's not _my_ power… similar to it… _very_ similar… but not the same. An echo. A reflection."

"A remnant," Salem added.

Ozpin turned his attention to his queen and nodded. "So… the thief who stole from me found her way through the dark pathways to the other side. It seems in the remnant apart, another Ozpin bestowed on _this_ Raven Branwen a gift."

" _This_ Raven?" Raven repeated.

"You needn't be so concerned, my love," Salem cooed to Ozpin. "We have something this one's doppelganger will want. Isn't that right, my dear Spring Knight?"

Lie stood up and nodded before stepping out of Raven's limited line of sight. Raven heard a shuffling sound prior to his return, carrying a body clad in a white robe. Raven could faintly make out a few barbs of red and black hair.

Summer?

No… too young… more likely…

And more, she was cast in a sort of gray coating, a thin sheen over her skin and cloak. Almost like a Grimm cocooned by Summer's –or her child's- power.

"The _only_ thing the anomaly wants," Lie assured. "The silver-eyed warrior. The one who can control the Grimm."

Ozpin smiled before turning his attention back to Raven. "Tell me, Raven Branwen of the remnant apart… what would you do for the one you love? And more than that…

"Do you want to go home?"

* * *

 _Vale_

Fox Alistair knew that scent. But he wasn't sure how it was possible. She died months ago... why would her scent linger this long? More to the point, how could _any_ human remain alive in the ruins after all this time? What holdouts remained outside the Safe Zone had either fled or disappeared in the weeks after Beacon's fall.

But it was the only thing that didn't smell like Grimm. It was the only thing that smelled human. It was the only smell he knew.

Velvet was immediately concerned, knowing how Fox could be distracted by familiar scents. But then he spoke her name, and Velvet switched from concerned to totally onboard with helping him.

They were overdue to return to the Safe Zone and Coco was getting on their case. Velvet was doing her best to buy time, and Fox was honing in on it.

He dug through the rubble... he couldn't see her, but he could hear her breathing. He could hear her heart beating.

He called Velvet over. She rushed to join him, helping as best she could one-handed, as Coco grew increasingly impatient.

"Fox, it's her!" Velvet remarked.

It was impossible. But it was right before them.

Fox couldn't see the incredible sight, but believed his teammate and the tone of her voice. He trusted Velvet, and he trusted his nose and ears.

He hoisted her up from the rubble. Velvet ran one head over her forehead, the sound of flesh meeting flesh (and then metal tiara) revealed her to Fox's imperfect vision, taking in the features from the soft cheeks to the long mane of hair trailing behind her head.

"Coco, you're not going to believe this," Velvet reported into the Scroll, "but we found Pyrrha Nikos."

Coco had heard plenty of things she didn't believe, but never from Velvet. "W-what did you say?"

"We found Pyrrha. Pyrrha's _alive._ "

"We have to get her to the medical center," Fox added. "Coco, we need a bullhead out here now."

"I'm on my way to Glynda now for approval," Coco assured. "Hold your position, guys. Keep her safe... we'll get to you."

Pyrrha began to stir, her green eyes opening. Velvet leaned down beside her. "It's okay, Pyrrha. You're safe now. We'll get you help..."

Velvet? Ruby Rose's partner?

And a red-haired boy holding her in his arms. He looked vaguely familiar...

She rolled her head back, eyes sliding shut again as the Faunus girl continued to offer reassurances. Before she lost consciousness, Pyrrha realized that she'd found the gap. She'd made it to the other side.

Now for the hard part.


	2. A Smaller, More Honest Soul

**Chapter Two: A Smaller, More Honest Soul**

* * *

 _Another Time and Place_

Ozpin saw Raven refuse him a second time. He knew that without her child the next silver-eyed warrior would have no protector, no family to guide her in the inevitable battle with Salem. Raven was stubborn… and he had only so much power he could afford to dole on her.

There had to be another way. There had to be some alternative…

But she would betray him eventually. There was no reason to waste his effort on Raven Branwen. Even if it meant the next cycle of battle would be the last one.

He relaxed his grip and thought on where else he could invest his efforts, and what other forces he could muster if this was truly to be his last opportunity to defeat Salem...

* * *

 _Now_

Raven cried out upon feeling Salem's fingers run over her forehead again, the witch's hand reaching deep into her mind and fishing once again without regard for her mental anguish. She didn't want to give Salem the satisfaction of betraying pain, and for the first few visits she'd managed to bear the hurt and pressure well enough. By the fifth time she couldn't help but scream. She wasn't sure which visit this was, but either Salem hadn't yet found what she was looking for or she was starting to enjoy her constantly screaming in his ear when she poked Raven's brain with cold, sharp tendrils.

The memories flashed by one after another. Salem's first sojourn into her mind had been orderly, with events played in chronological order. Then she narrowed his search to instances of particularly strong emotion, and Raven started actively resisting her prodding so to try and conceal something she wasn't _certain_ she knew, about the _other_ piece of Ozpin's magic now housed within her.

But Salem paid that no heed. Salem didn't care about the Maiden power within Raven, or at least that wasn't her only target in perusing Raven's mind. Instead a particular few memories caught the witch's attention: the moment when Raven finally acted on her feelings for Tai and kissed him -despite so many warning signs going off in her head- and a moment when Raven decided to save the daughter she'd had with Tai, fending off an assailant on a train bound to Vale from Mountain Glenn.

When Salem finally withdrew from her, Raven's head was throbbing. Ozpin was standing a few feet away, staring out the window of Salem's keep to barren red rocks in the distance. "What was the purpose of all that?" Raven demanded, speaking to Ozpin's back rather than the witch before her.

"I wanted to know what made you so different from the Raven Branwen we know," Ozpin coolly replied. "Did you find it, my queen?"

"I did," Salem confirmed. "It seems this one did as she was bid and fell in love with her teammate, as you'd intended her to."

"Wait, what?" Raven demanded. She'd known it had been a very odd day; one where she actively fought against some strange instinct, some fear that kept her from reaching out to Taiyang. At the time she'd believed that things would end badly and ruin things between them, and more than that, she'd steal Tai away before Summer had the chance to tell him how s _he_ felt about him. It had been a struggle, but Raven had convinced herself to act and for a time –an all too brief time, it now seemed- she'd been happy with him.

Why did Ozpin want Tai and herself to be together?

"That makes sense," Ozpin nodded. "I was prepared to invest considerable effort in her then. I very nearly did… but when I thought about the talent I'd already bestowed on her and her brother, I knew it'd be more trouble than it was worth."

"What did you do to me, Oz?" Raven demanded. "What are you even talking about?"

"A road not taken," Ozpin replied. "At least for me. For you, it seems… a turning point. One of the first, perhaps…"

Ozpin finally turned around to face her. "I believed that you could contribute to my mission, when Salem and I were still at odds. I was wrong to ever place my faith in you… but what should I have expected? You came into my house so you could learn how to kill me, so you could steal my knowledge and bring it back to your tribe. Your love for your new teammates was the _only_ thing that kept you under my sway, at least for a time."

Raven tried not to dwell on what – _exactly_ \- Ozpin had done to manipulate her, though she badly wished to know. Instead she focused on something much more pertinent: "And you were using us in your little war with Salem. When did you finally decide to stop?"

"When it became clear that humanity wasn't worth saving," Ozpin bleakly replied. "You weren't the _only_ one who factored into my decision… but you certainly helped."

Raven couldn't believe it. Ozpin had always been a fool, but she'd never once expected him to abandon his foolish dream. She thought he'd die pointlessly –again and again- and fight Salem until he had no more power to reincarnate and he thoughtlessly sacrificed one generation of allies after another.

But then, Ozpin had made curious allowances for Salem before. Raven distinctly recalled telling him what happened to Summer, and Oz hadn't been at all surprised… and she'd wondered if he'd _allowed_ it to happen…

Raven turned her attention to Salem now, looking in those deep pools of red for any sign, any flicker. Raven hoped the mad witch wouldn't confirm her fear… but if Salem did it'd at least reassure Raven some things _hadn't_ changed in this strange place she now found herself in.

Salem betrayed nothing to Raven, the witch turning her attention to Ozpin instead. "I found something else that might help us… a particular memory that stood out to me."

"Oh?" Ozpin inquired, turning from Raven and fixating all his attention on his queen.

"There was another she bound her Semblance to –a life I have never seen- that Raven went to save in her own place and time," Salem explained. "And she saved that life from one of ours'; one of the girls in Jaune's cabal."

"You recognized her?" Ozpin asked.

"It seems she was not so different in that life as she is in this one," Salem observed. "She may be able to contribute something for us."

"Very well," Ozpin agreed. "I'll leave it to you, my love. In the meantime… I will take our guest somewhere to ruminate."

Raven didn't get a chance to offer a snide remark before a blow from Ozpin's cane turned everything dark.

* * *

 _Mistral_

Raven's right arm was bothering her. The wound left by the Spring Knight was acting up again, and she tried to reach over and massage it with her left hand, to try and soothe the pain and coax it back down. But when she tried to raise her left arm Raven found herself unable to, and opened her eyes, finding each wrist bound by a length of rope, her back pressed to a wooden chair with her ankles bound to the legs of her seat. Raven glanced frantically around, but didn't have far to find her captor: the Spring Knight, flanked by the short orange-haired girl and the tall, blue-eyed blonde boy.

Raven set at once to try and free herself, thrashing about in her chair. If she could find her sword it'd be simplicity itself to open a tear and move through her portal to Qrow or Tai –or Ruby, wherever she was- but if she tried to move while bound like this she'd tumble through the gate ensnared and unable to guide herself… and she'd use an enormous amount of Aura opening a gap without channeling it through her blade.

She tried not to focus on her adversary, scanning the room in search of her quarry. "Where's Ruby?" Raven demanded, more snarl than words.

"Why?" the orange-haired girl replied. "How do you know her?"

Raven glared at the Spring Knight. The way the girl stood beside him, protecting him from Raven's clear animosity, Raven was not at all inclined to reveal the truth. If they hadn't figured it out yet, so much the better Raven protect Ruby from these dangerous people traveling with her… at least until she could free herself and put a stop to the Spring Knight.

Raven focused on stalling for time, turning her attention to the tall blonde boy. "I don't know what they've told you, but Ruby's… you _can't_ let them take Ruby to their mistress. If she doesn't enslave her outright, Salem will just whisper lies in her ear." Raven jerked her head at the Spring Knight. "Just as she did with this one."

"Who –exactly- do you think Ren is supposed to be?" the blonde boy asked. "And why do you want to keep Ruby away from him? Just take a few seconds and explain… maybe we can figure all this out."

Ren? Raven thought she _faintly_ recalled hearing the Spring Knight called by that name, though she couldn't recall where. When they fought he never identified himself: he was intently focused on the fight and his objective. He was a deadly opponent who didn't bother with pleasantries.

And indeed, the boy in green with such bright pink eyes seemed much the same: focused and quiet. But when Raven looked at him again, she _did_ see an incongruity… where was his scar? Only by the slimmest chance had the Spring Knight avoided Raven chopping his nose off. Only because he'd dug his dagger into her right arm and staggered her swing.

Salem could've healed her beloved son… she could've repaired the wound Raven inflicted so her prize would remain undamaged. But there was so much else wrong here… so much that didn't add up and Raven needed answers. She didn't want to risk betraying anything to her captors, but she did need to know more… and keeping them talking might distract them while she discreetly removed her bindings.

"Okay," Raven agreed. "I… my name is Raven Branwen Xiao Long. I'm a huntress."

All true so far. Nothing that should throw them off just yet.

Raven thought she heard a gasp from somewhere else. She glanced around the room, to the couches and chairs and coffee table to the various exits to other areas: a kitchen, a staircase, hallways… someone could easily be hiding around one of those corners listening in. "Ruby…?" Raven hopefully inquired.

The orange-haired girl stepped close, filling up Raven's frame of vision. "What's your deal with Ren?"

Raven didn't want to answer that just yet… or at least not specify the reason she felt the way she did. She tried to look past the short girl to the Spring Knight at her rear. "If he's who he appears to be… he and I have fought each other several times. Salem sent him to capture me."

Well, perhaps it wasn't _Salem_ who gave the order. Perhaps it was her king…

"Why would I be working for Salem?" the Spring Knight –Ren?- asked her. "Salem sent her agents to attack Beacon. Her subordinate killed my friend…" He glanced at the other two, and Raven noticed their expressions become very tense, "…and then she sent another one to kidnap Ruby. I tried to protect her from him, but it was her uncle who fought him off."

Some of this information stacked with what Raven knew. Qrow adored Ruby and would fight to protect her, both for the sake of his niece and to assuage his wounded conscience after losing Summer on one of Ozpin's missions… and then fighting even harder after realizing exactly _why_ Ozpin sent her out there.

But there were too many inconsistencies. Raven experienced a similar issue when she found her camp and found so many unfamiliar faces among the bandits. Raven had been careful not to overplay her hand, but she'd been desperate for _any_ sign of Ruby, and was only too happy to hear that one of her daughter's teammates was in their custody… it was a lead she'd have been only too happy to follow had that blonde girl not shown up to interfere.

Raven tried to speculate how she got here. She thought on what Ruby told her: about Beacon's fall, about Ozpin directing them-

 _ **Ozpin.**_

Raven looked up at the Spring Knight, addressing him rather than his orange-haired friend in her path. "Where is Professor Ozpin?"

They exchanged looks again. "He's… dead," the blue-eyed blonde boy replied.

He was a terrible liar. Raven shook her head, but humored him by playing along. "Again?"

His eyes widened. He knew. How odd it was for Ozpin to share his secrets… he'd so jealously guarded them for so long… he'd only been open and trusting when they first met. Raven thought it was an act, a thin veneer to draw her into a false sense of security or a façade he adopted to gain the trust of naïve young students before revealing his true face. But he'd kept the truth of his nature from all but STRQ. Why did these children know?

Tai had taken Ruby to Beacon when Ozpin's mask was still up. He'd still believed in Ozpin's better nature even when it became increasingly clear they were all just means to an end for him…

Raven had to see her. She had to _know_ that whatever had happened to Ruby here her daughter would be safe from Salem's grip. And whatever lies he now presented, the Spring Knight would inevitably do as his queen commanded and steal Ruby away, just as he had before.

Was she in the past, somehow? Ruby had said the boy was her friend once, and in her youthful innocence she'd trusted him and fallen right into his hand. Raven needed to find a way to convince Ruby that the Spring Knight was in thrall to the queen of the Grimm and would betray her.

"Where is Ruby?" Raven asked again. "Please… I just need to know she's safe… I just… I just want to-"

If she revealed the truth she'd give useful information to the Spring Knight and these two children fighting alongside him. If she admitted Ruby was-

But she couldn't help it. Raven tried to open a portal and jump to her and found nothing. She'd thought her child died, and that pain hurt far worse than the wounds in her arm. She couldn't quite suppress her emotion enough to deny that Ruby was-

"Please," Raven said again, tears welling up now. "Please let me see my daughter."

Another gasp. Raven recognized the voice. "Ruby? Ruby?!"

She heard shuffling: multiple sets of shoes on the wooden floor. Someone was ushering Ruby away. The orange-haired girl put herself in the path of Raven's vision again. "Ruby!"

* * *

Oscar hadn't realized he'd taken hold of Ruby's hand to lead her away; he'd just reached out to the general vicinity of her arm when he pulled her back before she rushed out. Ruby was still struggling a bit in his grip, and for such a small girl she was surprisingly strong.

"Stop it," Ruby insisted. "I have to talk to her; I have to know what's going on! Why is she still keeping my Dad's name? Why does she think _I'm_ her daughter? Why does she think Ren's working for Salem?"

Oscar was glad she hadn't blurted any of this out while Raven was in earshot. But then, he also had _no idea_ where to begin with _any_ of those questions. He tried to be reassuring. "I'm sure that Mister Arc and the others can gain some insight. If you can be patient we'll figure out what's going on."

"There's something very wrong here," Ruby muttered. "I'm not sure what's going on, but what she thinks about Ren –what she thinks about _me_ \- it's all just… _wrong_."

Oscar thought quickly. "Qrow. Qrow will know how to talk to her."

Ruby only nodded, before turning her silver eyes down to Oscar's hand grasping her fingers. She quickly extracted her hand and turned her attention back towards Raven and perhaps avoiding Oscar's own gaze while she did.

Oscar tried not to dwell on that. He coughed and pulled out his Scroll, trying to think about the dangerous woman they held prisoner and not the awkward air between him and the girl right beside him.

* * *

Sitting on the back of Yang's motorcycle, Qrow could barely hear anything over the roar of the engine and the blonde hair constantly flapping up in his face… he was much too tall to try and ride second behind Yang. But he _did_ feel the vibration of his Scroll in his pant leg and answered the call. "Hey, kid, what's… what? She's _there_?"

"What is it?" Yang inquired.

"We're on our way," Qrow assured the caller. " _Don't_ let her go anywhere or she could be back on Patch in a matter of seconds." When he hung up, Qrow replied to Yang: "Your mom found her way to the house I'm renting. Apparently she's convinced _Ruby's_ her daughter instead of you."

"What is going on with her?" Yang growled. "Why is she acting so weird?"

" _Something's_ wrong," Qrow agreed. "Oz figured she might actually be-"

"Oz?" Yang interjected. "Ozpin? Qrow… _Ozpin's alive?!_ "

"Long story, Firecracker, and I'll tell it once I'm sure we can keep your mom from bailing on us," Qrow replied. "Can't this junkheap go any faster?"

Yang hated to think Qrow was keeping secrets from her, but she'd save her anger for a better time. Right now her mother and her sister were in one place, and _that_ was her first and only priority. Yang put her foot down on the gas pedal and sped up, blazing through the streets as straggling pedestrians dove out of her way. Not how she'd have traveled through Mistral if she could've helped it, but she needed to get to Ruby and wasn't at all keen to leave her baby sister with Raven Branwen any longer than necessary.

As Yang sped away her hair flared up and the noise of her motorcycle made quite a ruckus… including for someone who might not have noticed the blonde bruiser pass by had she gone at a more leisurely pace.

They'd met once already. How odd it was they'd meet again, halfway around the world…

Odd. But very fortunate.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Salem disliked coming to Jaune's room. Because of the imperfect Aura grafted onto him and the modifications Ozpin made, Jaune's energy was so great he had trouble sleeping. In order to quell his relentless spirit, he kept a number of… _prizes_ to attend to his needs. Salem abhorred such things, but conceded it was an easy way to keep Jaune sated. He didn't covet power or revenge, and his simple mind didn't care for much past these base desires.

But Salem had to interrupt him, because she needed one of them… and so she knocked on his door. Frustrated though he'd be at being interrupted, Jaune knew to answer when he was summoned. And he took the time to make himself presentable before he did.

When he finally answered his door he was covered up. Though clearly irritated, he did his best to be respectful. "What do you need, my Queen?"

"I need one of your charges," Salem replied, stepping inside. The three he'd gathered immediately dropped to kneel, and Salem fixed her attention on the smallest among them, a girl with three colors in her hair and two in her eyes.

Jaune followed Salem's eye. He was clearly apprehensive. "My Queen…"

"Is something wrong?" Salem asked, dropping to a knee to lift the girl's chin. She appeared undamaged, so clearly Jaune wasn't worried about handing her over to Salem in the state she was in… no, he had been hoping that Salem _wouldn't_ choose her.

"Of… of course not, my Queen," Jaune replied. "They are your subjects too."

"I am glad that you can remember your manners, Jaune," Salem nodded, the small girl standing up at her queen's command. "It's important you know when to be humble."

She probably didn't need to remind him, but Salem didn't care for his interjections. He'd demonstrated a sign of infighting before this facsimile of Raven Branwen, and Salem really didn't want to betray any weakness to an unfamiliar element. She needed to make it clear whose house he now resided in.

Still, when she addressed him Salem did so in a calm, soothing voice, her fingers running across his cheek in a gentle caress. "Remember, my son, my love is _not_ unconditional. So long as you serve me well and faithfully, I am only too happy to reward you and give you a place at my table."

She gently pushed him at his cheek to look upon _another_ of his cabal, still prostrate on the ground before her queen, her face hidden by long black hair. "Forget your place, rise too far above your station, _ever_ deny me… and the same fate could easily befall you."

It should have terrified him. But Jaune couldn't quite manage to contain himself. "And I suppose Ren hears the same from you."

Salem couldn't say that was true. But then, she'd never _needed_ to remind Lie of his duty. He always did as she bid, and Salem had to admit of her two sons… "I love you both," Salem assured, "In different ways. But no one is irreplaceable, Jaune. Not even my beloved sons."

Jaune's eye turned back towards Cinder on the floor. She'd been Salem's favorite once too… but when her ambition overwhelmed her loyalty…

Cowed, Jaune withdrew from his mother's fingers and stepped back. Salem led the small girl by her hand out from Jaune's chambers back towards her meeting room. Ozpin would be waiting with the Raven from the other side, and Salem was eager to see what the bandit's reaction would be to seeing an old adversary again.

At least an adversary in that other life. Here… perhaps she had found a worse fate, bereft of family and left to the tender mercies of a barbarian who'd recklessly broken her will. No doubt he'd intended on visiting all manner of brutality on her small frame before Salem dragged her away.

A small, temporary mercy… Salem hoped the girl would serve her purpose quickly and not have to linger. But if this girl did what Salem believed… well, they might have a greater use for her than Jaune ever could.

* * *

 _Mistral_

Qrow stepped inside first. Yang asked him to go ahead, to not draw attention to her presence. Despite the severity of their situation, she wanted to be there to see Ruby herself. Yang didn't want anything to interrupt that reunion, unless she absolutely had to run in and keep her sister safe from her mother. The mere thought made her impatient waiting for Qrow outside.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora stepped aside and left Qrow in Raven's path. She seemed pleased to see him… but only at first. "Why are you here, brother? Are you in league with the Spring Knight now?"

Qrow knew Raven's tells, and she wasn't betraying many of them to him. She wasn't lying or putting on a show; she was genuinely apprehensive of the three Beacon kids. Raven wasn't one to be concerned about anyone short of Salem or her acolytes. Why was she so bothered by Lie Ren, who was so quiet it was very easy to forget he was even present?

Qrow knelt down before his sister so they'd be closer to eye level. "What's going on, Raven?" he asked in a whisper. "Why are you so worried about the kid?"

Raven glanced back at the three before whispering in her brother's ear: "Qrow, I fought this boy before. He's the one who kidnapped Ruby. Tell me why you're working with him."

"Ren's a good kid," Qrow assured her. "He's Ruby's friend. He traveled to another continent to help her. They all did. They're the good guys, Raven… they're here to help."

"He was Ruby's friend at Beacon too," Raven snapped. "How can you be sure?"

"Why is Ruby so important to you?" Qrow asked. "Raven… why did you come here?"

Raven was taken aback, eyes wide. "Qrow, what are you talking about? Why don't you know-" She recalled him mentioning the blonde girl was his niece. He'd thought _she_ , not Ruby, was Raven's daughter.

All wrong… all wrong…

Not the past. Not what she knew. Somewhere else entirely.

Her instinct was to grab Ruby and run. But run to where? Who could she regroup with? The bandits? She hadn't recognized many in their ranks either…

Her brother didn't recognize Raven's daughter. But if there was _anyone_ in the world she trusted…

"I'm so confused," Raven admitted. "I don't know what's happening. I just… I needed to know my baby girl was safe, Qrow. And now you tell me some _other_ girl is my daughter instead and the man who kidnapped her is helping… what is Ruby even doing in Anima? Please, brother, please just tell me what's happening…"

Qrow knew when Raven was lying, mostly because her lips would be moving. But this… he hadn't seen this raw expression of honesty in a _very_ long time. Raven was harsh and blunt when telling the truth, but this was a smaller, _pleading_ voice. This was a sister asking her twin for help… and Qrow _never_ thought he'd hear that voice again.

He held up one finger, assuring Raven he'd return and turned to speak to the others. He made a point to whisper in Jaune's ear, to relay a message to Ruby on his behalf, hoping the boy would be subtle in guiding her and not ruin the surprise. Jaune smiled upon hearing the news, and Qrow returned to his sister's side before leaving the kids to congregate.

Qrow looked over the bindings placed on her and hesitated a moment. She'd surprised him several times already today, and if he was wrong about her he'd be leaving a very dangerous woman free to abscond with Ruby or kill Ren or… whatever else she meant to do. He still couldn't quite believe that he thought she _wouldn't_ attack the moment he set her free.

But a long time ago, he'd trusted her completely. And when she asked for his help, when she opened up enough and swallowed her pride… he believed in her. So Qrow detached her restraints and set her free.

Raven reached over to massage her right arm once her left hand was loose. He was stunned she didn't go for her sword. Instead Raven finished whatever work was needed and then reached both arms over Qrow's shoulders, pulling him into a hug. "Please, brother," she requested. "Please let me see my child."

"We'll get there," Qrow assured her. "Just start at the beginning, Raven. Even stuff you think I should know. Just tell me how we got here."

* * *

Ruby wasn't sure why Jaune was insisting she go outside. She kept asking what was going on, or if they were trying to hide her from Raven somehow, but once Nora and Ren assured her it was something worth doing Ruby relaxed her guard enough to comply and stepped out the front door.

The first thing she saw was the hair. It was impossible to miss; she'd spent her whole life looking up at it. Then the eyes, cool lilac, now renewed with life again after Ruby last saw them devoid of it.

"Yang!" Ruby exclaimed, halfway between reaching out with her hands to embrace her sister before stopping herself, moving them frantically about as she tried desperately to explain things. "I'm… I'm so sorry! I should've stayed and I should've talked to you more, and… I'd just… I just…" Tears started welling up in her eyes as Ruby recalled it, trying to tell her sister Ruby loved her and hearing no response. "I… I wasn't sure you wanted me around and-"

Yang cut her off, hugging her little sister tightly. Yang brought one hand to the back of Ruby's head, pulling the shorter girl closer. "I love you," Yang whispered, closing her eyes.

Ruby hadn't expected to hear it again, no matter how much she longed to. She wasn't ready for the feeling. She started sobbing, barely managing to reply: "I love you too…"

Yang had been very confused throughout the day after encountering her mother. But this? This was what Yang had traveled halfway around the world to find. The three words were what she'd _needed_ to say, so Ruby would never again think Yang didn't want to say them to her.

And far off, spying the two sisters reuniting, an uninvited guest pondered the next course of action, with revenge so very, very close…

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Raven stirred, finding herself seated before a stone table in a wooden chair, one of six aligned the table. On either side of the stone table were two crystalline structures cut it to the appearance of larger seats, not unlike thrones. Ozpin sat in one at the head of the table, apparently waiting for her to rise.

"It's not often we invite others to our table," Ozpin mused. "But so long as you can serve a useful purpose to us, we might be inclined to be… accommodating."

"I thought you were going to help me get out of here," Raven muttered. "Was that another lie? Why should I believe a word you say?"

"Because _if_ you want to return from this place, you'll need my assistance," Ozpin replied. "You may have fallen through the cracks on your own, but there's no guarantee you'll find your way back."

"How did that even happen?" Raven asked. "How did I get here? What _is_ this place?"

"A remnant," Ozpin replied. "Just like the one you know… at least it was, until things diverged from the world you'd known. I cannot say exactly when it happened, but from your perspective it'd probably be a long time ago. To me, it's barely been a blink. I'd never have realized you weren't the anomaly I sought had the magic within you had a distinctly different echo to the one I granted your counterpart here… I'd have never had confirmation that there _was_ another like this, only my own suspicions."

"Suspicions of what?" Raven asked, curious against her will.

"I knew there'd be repercussions to my choice," Ozpin replied. "I saw it, however briefly, as you did: a life that _might_ have been, had things been different for us. But your refusal to do as I sought would've required an enormous investment of my power. I saw glimpses of what could have been… and it seems for you, what could have been became what _is_."

The great wooden doors of the meeting room creaked open. Ozpin smiled as Raven turned her head towards the new arrival. "Well, then… shall we see what my queen discovered in your memory?"

Salem stepped in first. Behind her… Raven hadn't seen the girl since she held a blade to Yang's throat. Since Raven intervened for the first and only time on her daughter's behalf. Why was she here in Salem's keep?

No, it wasn't the same girl… but Raven's apprehension had not gone unnoticed by Salem. The mad witch smiled, raising a hand over the short girl's head. "I see you remember this one. Good. Hopefully you'll work well together for what we have in mind."

"And what –exactly- do you have in mind?" Raven asked.

"You tried to cut this one with a sword that slices through the very fabric of reality," Salem explained. "And she emerged completely unharmed. She blinked right out of reality just as you cut into it. Her gift –her Semblance- may well be suitable to aid us in completing our plan… and in exchange for your help, return you to the remnant you hail from."

Raven eyed the girl warily. "And what, you think I'll trust her to help me anymore than I'll trust either of you?"

Salem looked past Raven, smiling fondly at Ozpin. "Someone once taught me the value of a smaller, more honest soul… and who could be more honest than one who has never once spoken a lie? While you jealously guarded your secrets, this girl gave me what I needed."

Salem stepped past Raven to the window, looking from her meeting room to the barren rock and black pools of Grimm. "So trust her or not, she is you only way home… and you should decide now how badly you wish to do so… _Spring Maiden_."

Raven's eyes widened.

"Your power is not from this place, so only _you_ can use it here," Salem explained. "Power we do not control is power we do not need. So decide: allies? Or death?"

Raven knew Salem didn't bluff. She turned her attention to the girl with different colored eyes, thinking whatever she'd got caught up in… she really had little alternative.

"What do you need?" Raven finally asked.

* * *

 _Mistral_

Ruby and Yang had a lot to talk about, but without any concrete information on Raven and her interest in Ruby, they went to the younger sister's room to talk, Jaune, Nora, and Ren alternating between sharing in a reunion and giving the sisters their privacy. Qrow and Raven continued to exchange information out in the front room late into the night, and eventually the kids from Beacon made some food and sat around the table swapping stories of their months long journeys.

Oscar hadn't yet introduced himself, staying in his room out of sight. It wasn't until Yang and Ruby were crawling into bed that the elder sister asked: "Wait, Qrow told me Ozpin was here with you. What's the deal with that?"

"It's… complicated," Ruby weakly replied.

"Yeah, I figured as much," Yang conceded. "Okay. We'll talk in the morning."

Yang made a point to give her sister one more hug before sleep took them. She faintly heard Qrow and Raven still talking outside their room, and acknowledged there was _a lot_ left for her to inquire about… but so long as she had Ruby that was enough, and she found rest quickly enough.

* * *

In the dead of night she came through a window on the second floor. She descended the staircase in a single breath, leaving no lingering footsteps and only a single gust of air to mark her presence. The hunters in the front room were distracted, deep in conversation. They mistook her arrival for a draft in a poorly-maintained house.

She didn't know which room, but she was persistent in checking. If any remained awake to interfere she would silence them quickly and not hesitate in completing her objective…

The first few rooms were a bust… only two sleeping boys. Not her targets. Easily dismissed. Ideally they'd sleep right through what was about to happen.

At last she found her target, asleep soundly beside her sister. Oh how she wished she could kill the elder sister first and torture Ruby Rose… make her feel the same as she had at seeing her family taken from her.

But the sister's reckless driving led her here; she'd have never noticed without Yang Xiao Long making such haste. In recompense, she'd die quickly.

Ruby Rose would live just long enough to see her killer's face and know she earned this untimely end…

Neo withdrew her blade from within her umbrella. The sound of metal might alert sharp ears, so she moved quickly to complete her work, climbing onto Ruby's bed and straddling atop the girl.

Ruby stirred and saw multicolored eyes before her. Her pretty silver ones widened in shock.

Roman would finally be avenged…

She heard something; wind at her back. Neo hastened to deliver the killing blow… only for a red sword to cross over Ruby's chest and deflect Neo's thin blade, driving it into the mattress beside her head.

Neo turned to face the one who interfered, only half-emerged from a portal of black and red, wearing the same colored armor… though the Grimm mask was curiously absent. Neo remembered her well; Neo _fled_ from her the last time they met. "Stay _away_ from my daughter," she snarled.

Another family member Neo could kill. Albeit one much more difficult to best.

But revenge was right in front of her. Roman taught her to retreat when facing such odds, but she was finally here and the prize so close… she would not be denied.

Neo clashed blades with the huntress, determined to avenge Roman, no matter how deadly the foe in her way.

* * *

 _The Past_

Raven wasn't sure which day this one was. Only one of the same day she'd lived more than two hundred times.

She tried telling her brother. He _may_ have believed her, but he was of no help. He simply wasn't sure how he was supposed to fix the problem, as he actively avoided spending time close by, lest his uncontrollable bad luck exacerbate her problems or undo her efforts.

She tried asking Summer, who humored her and came up with as many possible solutions as she could, actively working to study time dilation to try and extend their efforts. The only problem was she could only learn so much in a single day, and after each attempt their progress was reset to... well, not quite zero, but then she had to waste another few minutes explaining why Summer's ideas didn't work, which only frustrated her teammate as one possible solution after another was shot down as a previous version of Summer had tried it to no avail; something which couldn't help but vex the current iteration of Summer.

Then Raven tried unorthodox solutions, rapidly bouncing back and forth to Qrow and expending all her Aura to do it, trying to use her Semblance's ability to poke little holes in reality to try and unstick herself from whatever loop she was caught in. She'd end the day exhausted and sleep well, and then wake the following morning replaying the same moments she'd seen hundreds of times.

She was resigning herself to it, because much as she wanted to escape this day, she wanted even less to talk to... to even mention...

Raven was pretty sure she knew _why_ she was stuck repeating the same day over and over, but she was desperate to avoid admitting it, and instead driven to find out the _how_ so she could simply put a stop to the strange process.

Because for a brief moment in her travels between dimensions, in solidifying a bond with each of her teammates, she saw it all rush into her mind, one image after another. Raven saw the future take root in the present, and she ran from it.

Not for the first time, her eyes moved to Taiyang, sleeping late as always. Not for the first time, she was tempted to tell him the truth, to admit what she'd seen of him, and her...

Of the future she'd been trying to avoid, of the moment she'd change and no longer be herself. Of the moment she'd hurt him...

It all began today, when her partner asked her to join him on a jaunt away from school, and dozens of times now she'd refused him, and though he was crushed by it, he understood why and tried to play it off, making it harder to do with each repeating day.

Difficult tasks were supposed to get easier the more often you did them. But seeing the look of rejection in his pretty blue eyes again and again...

Raven refused to be destiny's plaything. She'd find her own way out from this time loop and _not_ commit to this course fate had decided for her, because she and she alone decided where she'd go.

And she didn't want to start what she couldn't finish.

Not when she saw herself deciding to leave him...

Deciding to abandon their-

Tai woke and ruffled his hair mid-yawn. Not for the first time she wished she could say yes and just acknowledge his feelings, not merely to break the loop, but to be with him as she wished to be.

But how could she be tempted? How could she ever consider agreeing to his wish, knowing that eventually whatever happiness they brought each other would end? How could she hope to see his smile when she knew someday she'd take that smile away?

And far worse than that, she'd leave him saddled, leave him... worse than alone, but burdened.

She had to find another way...

But then he smiled at her and walked over. "Hey, Raven, there's this thing going on at that new club in Vale tonight and I was wondering..."

She was prepared for this speech. She knew what she had to say when his lips stopped moving, even though it'd hurt him. It'd hurt far less if she was cruel now and not cruel later on.

But as she watched him talk, focusing on his lips, she thought on what _else_ she'd seen in the brief moment she saw the future.

Of their dance. Of their kiss. Of their tight embrace under the broken moonlight.

Of their marriage. Of them beside the fireplace in a warm cabin. Of the few fleeting, perfect moments they'd share.

Of her looking down in a bassinet at a girl with wider cheeks and a higher forehead, with blonde hair like his', but long and unruly like her own...

Of turning away knowing that she'd never have that perfect life for more than a few moments...

She focused on Tai's lips again. She repeated to herself she wouldn't be controlled by fate's whims. She told herself she didn't need that life she'd seen; that her happiness mattered less to her than the harm she'd inevitably do.

And then she kissed him.

She'd tried to do so much else that hadn't been to plan.

But she wanted that moment. She wanted that future, however fleeting it'd be.

And if she couldn't change fate today, maybe she'd have better luck tomorrow.

* * *

It hadn't quite gone as Ozpin planned, but _eventually_ things were on course. He'd overstepped his use and accidentally imbued in Raven Branwen a vision of the future. She fought against it so long she'd seriously drained Ozpin of his power.

But at last things were as they were meant to be. At last Raven would be where she needed to go.

He'd grown weary of living the same day just as Raven had, but he was committed to the process now. He'd invested too much energy to bring about this chain of events to undo it and gain nothing.

But now he'd done as he needed, and created a guardian for the next silver-eyed warrior. A life created to safeguard the hope of the future.

Created, and inevitably consumed...

But then, there'd be so few of them left in the end. Both Raven _and_ her child would meet that same unfortunate end.

Taiyang would have _one_ surviving child at least. He'd live to a ripe age with one daughter to smile upon as she grew.

Ozpin broke the loop and left Raven Branwen to play her part.


	3. An Untended Garden

**Chapter Three: An Untended Garden**

* * *

 _Vale_

"She's coming around."

"Give her some space. Let her breathe."

Pyrrha opened her eyes at last, drawn by curiosity for the voices around her. She blinked a few times as an unfamiliar ceiling came into focus over her head, one very tall boy visible in the bottom corner of her eye. Pyrrha slowly craned her vision down as she lifted herself from a soft pillow and found five familiar faces arraigned around her bed: Coco Adel, Yatsuhashi Daichi, Fox Alistair, Velvet Scarlatina, and Professor Glynda Goodwitch.

She wasn't sure why Velvet was with the second-year students, but she'd been prepared to experience all manner of inconsistencies when she crossed from one Remnant to another. She couldn't be certain they were the same people she knew on her side, but Pyrrha remembered Velvet and Fox helping her out of the rubble. While Jaune had meant to capture her alive, Pyrrha was certain Salem would prefer her dead, and if Pyrrha had been correct in her theory Glynda and Velvet –at the very least- would be fighting the mad witch in this world just as they had in hers'.

"Easy," Velvet requested, moving to Pyrrha's side and helping to hold the taller girl in a seated position. "We weren't sure how hurt you were; it looked like just a few bruises, but we didn't know how long you were out there with the Grimm."

"Out… where?" Pyrrha asked, voice hoarse. She looked about the room. "Where am I?"

"Vale," Glynda answered. "We established a safe zone after the attack on the tournament."

"Tournament…?" Pyrrha repeated. She knew the Vytal Festival was scheduled for her first year at Beacon, but it had been cancelled after the Grimm broke through during the Breach…

"What do you remember?" Velvet asked. "We lost track of you when Atlas's weapons turned on us. We were all fighting in the courtyard and you and Jaune just… disappeared."

Her counterpart here had also been partnered with Jaune Arc. No, that was inconsequential. She needed to move quickly, and find out: "Where's… Professor Ozpin?"

Silence hung in the room. Professor Goodwitch eventually answered: "Missing. Presumed dead."

She sounded sad to say it. Why would Professor Goodwitch mourn a traitor? Especially one who'd so callously abandoned her to- no, she was thinking about her own place and time again. In _this_ world Ozpin hadn't yet revealed his true nature to his inner circle. He hadn't yet betrayed them all.

Pyrrha had to get going. She had to get out of bed and regain her strength quickly. Velvet immediately hastened to hold her down. "Pyrrha, wait, please, you're still hurt…"

Of course she was. She'd likely remain so long after her mission was completed. "I have to find… Ruby." She locked eyes with Velvet. "Did she tell you where she went? She was your-" Pyrrha tried not to be biased in her memory and fall back on what she'd known before, "- _friend_. Did she tell you where she's gone?"

"Last I heard her uncle took her back to her home in Patch," Velvet replied. "Why, Pyrrha? Why do you need her?"

Pyrrha had enough of being held back. She reached a hand up to Velvet's wrist. "Please let go of me. I'm going to find her, and I need to start right away."

Coco Adel interceded now, holding onto Pyrrha's opposite arm. "Easy, girl. Take five minutes to let us know how you survived all those months outside the safe zone with the Grimm. What happened to you?"

Coco Adel was by far the most outgoing of her teammates, but Pyrrha recalled her being somber and morose, still hurting from the loss of her teammate. She did _not_ recall ever being close, nor could Pyrrha honestly recall thinking of her as a friend. She and the remnants of her team weren't able to go out on missions, and always seemed to keep to themselves. Pyrrha tried once again to be patient and not let her memories interfere… things would be different in this other world. Perhaps not as drastically as she was expecting. Maybe Coco had a better life here than she'd had in Pyrrha's world.

"According to what Miss Rose told her father," Glynda finally replied, "she was going to Mistral to chase after the ones who attacked us during the Vytal Festival. I heard this secondhand from Professor Port, but I can't think of a reason Taiyang would have to lie."

"Don't encourage her, Professor," Coco requested. "She needs-"

Pyrrha had heard enough. She finally opted to act, closing her eyes and concentrating. She didn't want to harm any of them; just to get her point across. She reached out, feeling the metals in the bullets adorning Coco's belt and the buckle holding it in place. Pyrrha tried to hold back as best she could when giving them a gentle tap. Coco felt herself skid along the floor, pushed back by –what felt to her- a gust from nowhere.

"What did y-"

"I'm… grateful for your concern," Pyrrha told her, trying to be patient and gracious, to fall back on old instincts of public relations. "But I can rest on the way to my destination. I can recuperate en route."

Velvet relaxed her grip, stunned by Pyrrha's display of power. Pyrrha climbed out of the bed, unsteady on her feet but insisting she stand. "Do you... have my weapons? Or _any_ weapons?"

"We heard that your weapons were returned to your teammates," Glynda answered. "I believe Jaune still has them."

Pyrrha tried not to tense up at the name. Or at least she tried not to betray her anger to her professor, but Velvet was standing right beside her with those large Faunus ears. Velvet saw rage flicker on Pyrrha's face and heard her heart thunder faster.

"I'll think of something," Pyrrha replied. "Do you have an armory?"

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

That dream again. Salem wished she could be surprised, but it would be a very long time before it stopped haunting him. She could only affect so much change there to help him sleep without overstepping and her cold hand causing him to stir.

Salem was careful in reaching down, her fingers gently scratching the surface of Lie's forehead as she took hold of the memory. Lie pressed a hand to the shoulder of a scared orange-haired girl and solemnly told her: "We have to be brave."

His father Li Ren imparted on him the importance of taking action, and though he'd been frightened, Lie's discovery of his Semblance allowed him to push his fear aside. He found another scared girl hiding from the Grimm and ran to her side to help her, and when she embraced him Lie used his Semblance to hide them from a Nevermore searching for the light of their Aura, only for the light to abruptly vanish and rob the Grimm of its prey.

The girl would form a constant in his life, someone he'd deeply care for… until the day came he had to kill her.

That memory haunted Lie too, but it all tied back to this meeting in Kuroyuri. It all tied back to the moment he befriended her, when he saved her and they vowed to keep each other safe from then on.

Salem knew how the thought tortured him. She couldn't _remove_ the cornerstone from his memory, but she could make the guilt easier to bear. She could make the picture darker and the memory seem more distant. It'd help him sleep through the night, and he'd be a step closer to moving on, to embracing the mother he had now and completely foregoing whatever bond he'd had then.

Salem meant only to help him with this dream and then leave him to rest. But when she extracted her fingers from Lie's memory she found them resting upon his forehead, her hand slowly sliding up to his brow and running through his dark hair.

Salem knew this wasn't her instinct, per se: just a remnant from the vessel searching for a feeling it had long gone without. She was inclined to indulge it, gently drawing Lie's head into her lap and stroking his hair, even though she knew this was a purposeless act… she'd already done what she needed to help him find peace and contentment. So who was this act for?

A ghost still lingering in the body she'd claimed? Or something in her… some feeling she'd never known before now? It was much easier to believe the former, but she couldn't deny…

She told Jaune her love was conditional; dependent on her children faithfully serving her. Even _that_ had been a lie. When Salem referred to loving _any_ in her house it was a half-truth at best. What love she'd known was a hazy recollection from a life long since forgotten by the rest of the world. When she said the word to Ozpin, she knew she might've sincerely meant it once long ago, but lost that feeling after their long and brutal war, rendering it a mere affectation.

Lie…

When she looked at the boy's head resting in her lap now, with his Aura as visible to her as his skin, she should've hated him just as she hated the rest of humanity, merely tolerating him for his use to her.

That wasn't what she felt when she ran her fingers through his hair. That wasn't what she felt when he embraced her and called her 'mother.'

Salem put the thought aside. There'd be time to decide what Lie was to her once his task was complete and the anomaly was returned to them.

Once he served his purpose, she'd know what she felt… once she no longer _needed_ him, Salem could decide if she still _wanted_ him to live.

* * *

 _Mistral_

Neo knew she wasn't going to overpower the taller huntress, so she'd have to find an opening. Now that Ruby Rose was awake she might be able to build a protective Aura to survive more than a single attack, so Neo would need to strike twice. She'd have to slip past the huntress's defenses multiple times to deal the finishing blow, and that depended on her landing two killing strikes in succession.

The huntress kept trying to push her back and Neo kept trying to find a way through. Ruby Rose kept pushing herself deeper into her mattress as blades clashed over her head, Neo always narrowly missing or being deflected by the taller woman's sword.

Neo blinked, leaving a fragile copy of herself behind, briefly sliding out of place and moving upward so she could angle her attack down and use gravity to strike. Even _with_ Aura to protect her, if Ruby Rose was impaled by Neo's blade she'd suffer a grievous wound.

But her adversary was not fooled by Neo's illusion, reaching up with her free right hand and taking hold of Neo the moment she reappeared, flinging the smaller girl to the floor. Neo tried to recover quickly, because it seemed as though the huntress had inadvertently injured herself, as she stopped and tensed up, pressing the flat of her blade to her right arm as though to hold it in place.

Neo hastened to attack while her enemy was indisposed, but Ruby Rose had the foresight to roll out of her bed and put the mattress between Neo and herself, Neo's thin blade poking through and caught in the cushion. The huntress rushed Neo and struck with her left shoulder, driving the smaller girl against the bedroom wall.

She'd taken too many hits already. Even if the huntress was injured and fighting at a disadvantage, Neo was still outmatched. Her opportunity was slipping away… she should retreat… Roman would tell her to retreat and survive before he'd tell her to chase something as unprofitable as revenge.

But then, Roman wasn't there to tell her that anymore. Because of Ruby Rose.

Neo blinked again, trusting her foe's injured arm wouldn't try to catch her a second time. She emerged behind the huntress, keeping low to the ground to avoid a retaliatory slash and pulling her blade from the mattress to attack again… only for Ruby Rose to leap over and dash out of the room, moving at incredible speed. Neo couldn't let her get too far… she had to hit Ruby while the younger girl was in motion and had to arc her turn out of the room.

Neo moved to catch up, to aim the blow that would skewer the girl while she changed direction…

Only for an entirely new left hand to reach over and take hold of her shoulder. Neo whipped her head around to attack, only for her thin blade to skid along the surface of a metal _right_ arm receiving the hit.

"Hey," greeted a familiar blonde girl with blazing red eyes. "Remember me?"

Yang flung Neo over her head and drove the girl into the floor. Before Neo had a chance to lift herself and counterattack, the red-armored huntress drove a heel into her face. Her last thought was the desperate need to free herself and catch up to Ruby Rose… but she was out before her body had a chance to obey the command, her fingers loosening and her blade clattering uselessly on the floor.

Raven leveled her sword to the unconscious girl's chin. Yang was surprised by the sudden motion, but couldn't really think of a reason to object… considering how Yang's _last_ encounter went and the way the short girl tried to kill her sister this response was probably merited. It might even be… cathartic.

"Who is this?" Raven asked. "Why was she after Ruby?"

She didn't recognize her. Had Raven _forgotten_ saving Yang's life from her?

"Her name is Neo," Yang answered. "She was working for a guy named Roman Torchwick: real piece of work who tried to unleash Grimm into Vale."

"The Breach," Raven realized. "Yes, I remember. I hadn't realized who coordinated it… I thought the White Fang were responsible."

"Well… they were _there_ ," Yang conceded. "But I don't think they were the ones calling the shots."

"Odd," Raven mused. "As I recall, Vale redoubled their efforts in tracking a _woman_ responsible for the attack… but then, it seems there's a great deal I recall that doesn't match what you know."

Qrow rushed over to join them, Ruby and the gradually waking Jaune, Nora, and Ren not far behind. "Everyone okay? What happened?"

Raven jerked her head to the unconscious girl on the ground. "This one came looking to kill Ruby. I-" Upon noticing Ruby behind her brother Raven was given pause, staring at the wary silver eyes observing her. "-I opened a portal to her when I heard something in her room. I'm sorry- old habit."

"How?" Yang inquired. " _When_ did you form a bond with Ruby?"

"Uh, kid, it's a long… _really_ strange story," Qrow interjected. "Maybe we should-"

"No, we have time to talk about this," Yang replied. "So let's talk about it." She turned her attention to Raven. "Tell me what your deal is. _Now_."

Raven met the blonde girl's eye. She was almost exactly Raven's height, and she had wide cheeks and a high forehead like Taiyang (when she could see it under his scraggly blonde hair anyway), and blonde hair like his, but with a wild mane and a single distinct cowlick sticking up atop her golden locks. Raven had to admit if her features were a little sharper and her hair a few shades darker the girl would be a dead ringer for herself.

Qrow insisted this girl –not Ruby- was Raven's daughter, and she now saw why he thought so. But the only child she'd ever known was the one crouched behind her uncle; the one she stepped in to raise as her own after her dear friend passed.

"Okay," Raven agreed. "But first we should decide what to do with this one."

Qrow looked down at Neo unconscious on the ground. "I… can think of someone for her to talk to. Think you can get those ropes of yours' in place again, kid?"

"I think it will be significantly easier, given her size," Ren confirmed.

Raven stepped aside, though she was visibly tense when Ren stepped inside to carry the shorter girl out… an expression that had _not_ gone unnoticed by Yang. It didn't surprise Yang _that_ much to think Raven had forgotten Neo after their very brief clash at Mountain Glenn, but why did _Ren_ put Raven on her guard?

"Let's speak in the living room," Raven suggested. "I'll… try and summarize this as best I can. I'm not sure I understand it myself, but I _think_ I know what happened now."

* * *

 _Vale_

Pyrrha examined the options before her. There were plenty of dulled blades and worn axes, but very little ammunition. Fair enough, the city had been under siege for a while… but she'd yet to find something that suited her. She probably couldn't hope to find a spear and shield that fit comfortably in her hand and she certainly had no time to build a new set, but surely there was _something_ –even with these limited resources- that would suit her.

Eventually, however, Pyrrha found something suitable… _several_ somethings, in fact. There was a metal of such density, even in a thin gray sword, with a green power symbol emblazoned into a bronze hilt and a green stripe running along the surface of the blade. There were a number of these swords… Pyrrha thought two might suit her nicely.

"Those?" Velvet asked. "Those are the weapons you want?

She seemed apprehensive. "Is something wrong?" Pyrrha asked.

"They belonged to… uh… a girl named Penny," Velvet replied. She kept searching Pyrrha for a reaction, hoping the name might draw Pyrrha's attention.

Pyrrha knew the name, of course she did. She was still their brightest hope.

But here, it seemed she was gone…

Pyrrha set the swords back down a moment before reaching over to hug the Faunus girl. "I'm so sorry. She did such a wonderful job leading Team Perwinkle…"

"Wait, what?" Velvet inquired, perplexed.

Pyrrha had acted on emotion, trying to comfort someone of their loss… a loss she _hadn't_ suffered here. In this Remnant Velvet hadn't joined the first years in PRWV. "Um, I mean…" She had no idea what to say. She'd had enough trouble playing along, but composing an outright lie would take more effort than she was willing to conjure. "…I mean I'm sorry for your loss, Velvet. I hope you won't be bothered when I wield these… I just need a weapon strong enough for what lies ahead."

"And what –exactly- _does_ lie ahead for you, Pyrrha?" Velvet asked.

Pyrrha wasn't sure how to explain it. It wasn't going to be a pleasant business. "Hopefully, just finding Ruby Rose. But if I'm honest… probably much, much worse than that when I _do_ find her."

Pyrrha really hoped it wouldn't come to that. She liked Ruby Rose a great deal and had no wish to rob Velvet –or anyone else- of a friend.

But if it came to that…

* * *

 _Mistral_

Raven looked at those gathered around her: Ruby, Qrow, and the ones she now knew to be named Nora and Yang. Apparently the Spring Knight – _Ren_ , she kept trying to remind herself- had left with his teammate (Jon?) to guard the assailant Neo, so at least there wouldn't be someone there Raven was uncomfortable talking to… but then Yang kept staring a hole into her, and that point quickly became moot.

Still she pressed on. "Qrow and I have been exchanging a lot of information, and there's _a lot_ that doesn't line up. Things seem to match up until we get to Beacon, when the two of us were planning on learning the huntsmen's tricks so we'd be better equipped to kill them… long story, but ultimately we didn't go through with our plan. We made friends… we changed. But then…"

Raven had told _some_ version of the story to Ruby. She just hadn't spent much time dwelling on the teenage drama and the misadventures shared at Beacon. Ruby was fifteen –last Raven saw her, she'd be sixteen now- and despite being selected for advanced placement Raven hadn't been able to discuss certain details with her daughter, because she always insisted they'd talk about it when Ruby was older. She'd just cover the basics. "Qrow remembers things differently than I do. According to him, I married Tai almost immediately after graduation and… uh… apparently I left him less than a year later?"

"So I've heard," Yang deadpanned.

"But _I_ remember something completely different," Raven hastily continued. "I knew Summer liked Tai, and whatever I may have thought of him at the time I didn't get in the way of that. They married a few years after we all graduated and settled down together after Tai got an adjunct faculty position at Signal. They had a baby girl, Ruby."

Their eyes met again. Ruby coughed awkwardly, working hard to turn her attention away from Raven. "I… uh… remember Uncle Qrow's version."

Raven tried not to let it bother her, but it did. She tried not to be hurt seeing her daughter refuse to meet her eye and continued. "Summer disappeared on a mission and Tai was distraught. I rushed over to him, and… I knew he needed help. I knew that I _could_ help him. And his little girl…" She kept her eyes on Ruby, even though Ruby continued to determinedly avoid looking back. "…she needed someone to look after her. And when we met… I wanted to be that someone."

"Qrow, is she serious with this?" Yang asked. The look in her eyes suggested she was really hoping it was some kind of act.

"I know when she's lying, kid," Qrow replied. "And she ain't lying now. Either she's gone crazy… or she really _did_ go through all this."

"How?" Yang demanded. "How does any of that make sense to you? How do you even _consider_ any of that?"

"Because there's some other stuff she mentioned we need to talk about," Qrow replied. "About Salem and why she wants Ruby."

That diverted Yang's attention. Whatever resentment and anger she had towards Raven quickly dissipated upon hearing her little sister was in danger.

"We need to talk about what happened to Summer," Qrow replied. "Because if what Raven told me is true –here or wherever she's come from- then we have a _much_ bigger problem than I thought."

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Raven had never used a Nevermore as a mount before. The howling wind wasn't so bad… but the Grimm feathers beneath her feet left her constantly uncomfortable. Ozpin and his collection of cronies didn't seem bothered by their method of transport, but it was hard to read them. The two boys both seemed irritable and the short girl was completely blank and expressionless. When they set down and disembarked from the Nevermore, a Seer detached its tendrils from the beast's back and the bird flapped up and headed away. Raven glanced around, considering directions to flee to: as she was no longer in Salem's keep, if an opportunity presented itself she could transform and make an escape… she just needed a heading.

However when her eyes returned to the ground, she recognized the heap of debris they'd been brought to. She'd flown over it multiple times and visited it once or twice during her brief stay in Ozpin's service: Haven Academy, now little more than a pile of rubble… albeit quite _distinct_ rubble.

"What happened here?" Raven asked.

"We took what we needed," Ozpin bluntly replied. "Though we made a point to keep the vault intact. Very fortunate we did…"

The blonde boy covered in flaring Aura reached over and pushed rubble aside. The black-haired boy in green found something behind it: a deep hole in the ground. Raven had a theory as to what it was, though she never expected to see it firsthand. For eighty years it had gone undisturbed, at least in the world she knew.

The black-haired boy stepped aside. Ozpin walked over, standing on empty air, a cushion of green Aura appearing beneath his feet and supporting his weight, and soon that of the two boys, the girl, and the Seer.

"Come, Raven," Ozpin invited. "I'm sure you wondered what the vault would be, were you ever so inclined to use your key and see what waited on the opposite side of the door."

Raven wasn't at all eager to go underground surrounded by enemies. She briefly looked back at the gray clouds overhead, speculating on how far the headwinds would carry her and how much of a lead she'd have on them. But feeling Ozpin's eyes on the back of her head, Raven reluctantly stepped forward, deliberately facing the gathered four and the Grimm so as not to turn her back on them.

As a result, when they descended down into the black pit, Raven's back was to the sanctum underground… and when she turned to see what the others looked upon, momentarily paralyzed at the sight… of a great golden door surrounded by towering vines, thick like trees with leaves composed of shining orange light.

The black-haired boy in green stepped past her, walking along a stone platform over an even deeper, darker pit to the door. He slid a glove from his wrist and pressed his bare hand to the golden door… and it first illuminated with blue light, running up along the towering golden plates in a serpentine patter and then began to furl away, gradually collapsing in on itself and ascending upwards, revealing something else, blinding Raven with its light…

…until she saw the bright green on the other side, a vibrant garden filled with flowers of all colors, all the foliage surrounding a small stone altar holding up a golden lamp with some small amount of blue liquid contained within it, faintly illuminated by whatever remained at the base. Three smaller stone circles lined the path to the glowing lamp, partially overrun by bright green grass.

"What is this?" Raven asked, genuinely curious.

"A door not meant to be opened," Ozpin replied. "Because it leads outside the remnant, back to the world before. And we are not meant to tread there."

"Not that it stopped us," his blonde-haired brute observed.

Ozpin seemed annoyed by the interjection, but let it pass. "From there we will be outside our domain and thus able to peer back into it. With application of your powers, Raven –and those of our clever little friend here- we will become momentarily unstuck from time and space as we cross a great distance in a single moment. And we will then be able to _enter_ this other place, this remnant apart from our own."

"And I can return?" Raven optimistically inquired.

"Unfortunately for all of us, no," Ozpin quickly dismissed. "If you crossover the anomaly will reemerge here in a very close position to her current axis. Given your particular talent, that could be in Patch, that could be in Vale… that could be anywhere those you've bonded with are in the world in an instant. I'm sure you understand how you might be difficult to find."

"Fortunately, we _do_ have the location of the duplicates of our sons," the Seer intervened, Salem's voice speaking through the levitating Grimm. "In your memories you last saw them encamped near Oniyuri alongside your twin and traveling alongside a silver-eyed warrior… and if nothing else draws out the anomaly, it is her child."

Summer's daughter? Why would she matter to Raven?

Ozpin stepped inside the vibrant garden, hoisting up the lamp and beckoning the short girl forward. Ozpin extracted from the relic some of the lingering blue liquid, a blue sphere floating over his palm that he quickly pressed to the girl's forehead. The lamp was a little duller afterwards, whatever material within it lower than before.

"What did you do to her?" Raven asked.

"The Relic of Knowledge can impart all manner of information," Ozpin explained. "In the case of this one, I have bequeathed her understanding of the very limits of her Semblance; complete mastery of her power to rise above her tricks and perform something… truly special."

"You're not worried about empowering this girl?" Raven asked. "Isn't that why you're chasing after this other version of me?"

"You understand so little," Ozpin dismissed. "It's imperative the gods have as little of their power left in this remnant as possible… while Salem and I have as many resources as possible." He tapped the short girl's shoulder. "And I have no fear of this one's betrayal: she has realized the price of defiance and accepted the role fate has given her."

Raven looked at the girl's dull, unfocused eyes. Even after receiving the immense power she had, she betrayed no reaction; no joy nor fear. "Come," Ozpin instructed. "Join us on the other side."

Raven wasn't in any hurry to join him there but did comply, the blonde brute walking at her back. She didn't feel any different standing on the grass… it felt like passing through a door, from a building out into nature rather than leaving a world behind. She couldn't make out a sky overhead -just a sort of white emptiness, partially obscured by tall plants and a dense forest in every direction but one.

"Cut a tear right here," Ozpin instructed, placing his free index finger at the gap between the cavern below Haven and the vibrant green place. "Concentrate on your bond with your brother Qrow: we believe he's the closest to our location and likely your closest link of all."

Raven drew her sword. Both of Ozpin's 'sons' tensed up at the sight. Raven took note of the Seer Grimm on the other side in the Haven cavern, knowing Salem's eyes were on her too.

"When they arrive I will dispatch our allies to retrieve them," Salem called from the reverberating mass of the Seer's 'head'.

"But mother, I will be able to disguise myself," the black-haired boy replied.

"I'll alert the High Leader of the White Fang and instruct her to bring them to me," Salem assured. "I will keep them safely in my keep until you return with the anomaly."

"Enough talk," the blonde irritably remarked. "Can't we get started?"

"When you're ready," Ozpin offered to Raven.

She looked down at her sword and then gradually at each enemy surrounding her. She had no idea what would happen… only that she wasn't sure what better opportunity there'd be to get home.

Raven thought of Qrow and cut. A tear appeared in reality, into the pathways connecting different parts of reality. Red Aura surrounded the black gate, holding it steadily in place.

The short girl intervened then, stepping up to the gate between two worlds… and took hold of the edges with her bare hands. Raven looked on as those hands broke and shattered again and again, falling away like brittle glass onto the green floor and quickly vanishing after landing. But she pulled the gap up, inverting it, flipping it around… and revealing not a pit of black, but something bright and burning… an image that eventually became clearer… of dunes of sand and sandswept stones -very much like the ones overrun by grass beneath Raven's feet- beneath naught but open white.

"What is that?" the blonde boy wondered.

"An untended garden," Ozpin replied. "I take it in this remnant apart the Spring Maiden has been neglecting her gifts. When the vault was constructed the relic was placed in a garden vaster than this one. It seems on the other side there's nothing left but barren desert."

The short girl moved the portal, revealing more of the scene: another relic, much like the one Ozpin drew from, only nearly full with blue light. And the same golden door they came through, sealed shut, appearing more like a bright tower than a door in the desert sand.

"It is to you now, my sons," Ozpin instructed. "Return the anomaly to us. When we have our prize, Raven Branwen, you can return to your world. We only want our visitor back from it."

"I will not fail, my king," the black-haired boy promised, stopping to bow before he stepped through, walking from lush garden to sandswept rock, and placing his hand against the golden door. Once again it unfurled, revealing a very similar looking catacomb.

Raven thought she should go now. If she timed things correctly she could get through… Ozpin couldn't hope to follow her. On the other side he was already dead, his soul inhabiting a new body.

But where _was_ her doppelganger? If Raven ended up in the wrong place, she could be in another Salem's grip, or even in Qrow's once again. But surely the _possibility_ of capture was better than the _certainty_ of it.

The blonde boy stepped in after. Raven made her move, leaping into her portal, preparing to transform into her corvid form and make a beeline for the exit aboveground and then rapidly seal them away, only to pass through empty air, the 'portal' she meant to pass through shattering like glass without ever touching her.

When she looked behind her Raven saw the small girl still holding the portal open, but in a slightly different angle. Had she moved without Raven ever seeing it? Or had she -or worse, Ozpin- cast an illusion Raven never noticed? She quickly moved to try again, only for Ozpin to intercede, striking fast with his cane and driving Raven into the grass.

"Hopefully when we try again you'll be more cooperative," Ozpin snarled, driving his foot into Raven's face before she could rise and knocking her out, leaving the gate to collapse in the small girl's hands, leaving her standing with arms extended, burns scratched into her palms.

In the desert, Jaune scoffed. "Seems she got uppity."

"Just remember we must bring her back alive when we find her," Lie reminded him. "If we kill her there, the magic she's stolen will never reach our king."

"Oh, I won't be killing her," Jaune assured him. "I have something much more interesting in mind."

Lie rolled his eyes, but did not indulge Jaune much longer. He turned his attention to the door leading to the underground sanctum… and took his step into a remnant not his own.

* * *

 _Mistral_

Nora emerged from the front room, joining her teammates and Oscar out behind the house, overlooking the Cliffside. Neo, the girl who'd come to assassinate Ruby, remained strapped to a chair and bound by Ren's ropes, apparently still unconscious.

"How are things going in there?" Jaune asked.

"They were about to get kinda personal," Nora replied. "Er, more personal than they were already, anyway. They had to talk about Ruby's mom and I figured I shouldn't get involved with that."

Oscar felt something cold run down his spine. He had no idea why that thought would concern him, but he suspected the fear was coming from elsewhere. "What is it, Ozpin?" he asked under his breath.

 _I'm not certain Miss Rose is prepared to learn the truth about her mother. It might be… difficult for her to process._

It was normally pretty difficult for Oscar to access Ozpin's memories: they came in a hazy fog that he had to work to clear away. But when Oscar tried to picture Summer Rose, all he saw was black. All he felt was cold… like icy fingers running over his forehead.

"Ozpin, what happened to her?" Oscar inquired, again hoping to go unnoticed while Jaune speculated on what was happening inside. "Doesn't Ruby deserve to know what happened to her mother?"

 _I merely feel this information will be damaging to her; that it'll hurt more than it'll help. There will be a time and place to explain what became of Summer Rose, but there must also be a proper context._

Ozpin was occasionally cryptic, but he wasn't usually so evasive. "You're hiding something."

 _Yes,_ Ozpin confirmed. _For her sake. I know you understand that, Oscar. I know you have no wish to do her harm… and what I must tell her might damage the hope that has persevered for so long._

"Then tell _me_ ," Oscar insisted.

 _Oscar…_

His conversation with his other half was broken by a sudden scream. Oscar whirled around and saw Ren fall to his knees, Aura moving in waves over his body.

"Ren!" Nora cried, reaching towards him, only for her hand to pass right through his skin, as though he wasn't even present. Jaune tried to take hold of him, only to stumble right past.

The sound of shuffling caught their ears as the others emerged from inside the house, Qrow, Raven, Yang, and Ruby all arriving one after the other. Ruby and Yang rushed over to try and help Ren, but could do little but watch as Nora tried frantically to get a grip on him, her hand passing right through him again and again.

Raven looked down at her sword, then her eyes shifted between Qrow and Ruby. If she were to cut open a portal to each with them so close, she might have somewhere to shelter the poor boy.

But she was in no hurry to aid the Spring Knight, even if Ruby and her friends vouched for him… and her right arm so ached…

Ren reached up towards his friends, struggling through his visible pain as his Aura drained away. Nora tried desperately to take hold of his hand, to anchor him, to hold him before he-

-vanished.

* * *

 _Vale_

Pyrrha was still unsteady on her feet when she stepped out into the cool night air. Morning was half a night away, but she'd be seeing the sun far sooner than the kingdom she'd be leaving behind. She'd race West to hop over Vacuo on her way to Mistral and meet the sunrise along the way.

Glynda and CFVY came to see her off. They kept insisting she shouldn't leave the safe zone, but Pyrrha had no reason to be concerned… and she had need of the wreckage left behind. She came upon destroyed cars and scattered debris from Atlesian airships, and once she was certain there was material enough closed her eyes and set to work.

She hadn't yet advanced far enough to do the process entirely with thought. She still used her hands to guide the errant metals together, to weave the magnetic fields of every ferrous object and drive them together. She'd had to learn it all very quickly, but stress had been a great teacher.

The cars broke further, stripped of metal siding. The wrecked ships crumpled to polymer and rubber as their hulls were ripped away. Pyrrha drew the metals together, coalescing into one massive sphere… and then smoothed them out, compressing it all together into something aerodynamic.

CFVY looked on, stunned by her power. Coco Adel's sunglasses slid so far down her nose they nearly fell off. Even the blind Fox Alistair was stunned by what he'd only _heard_ Pyrrha do.

Her task completed, Pyrrha strapped the two swords taken from the armory to her back and walked towards the floating sphere. She concentrated on the metal in her armor, using it to levitate herself up into her sphere and seat herself within it; at least she could rest a bit on her journey.

"Miss Nikos… be aware the CCT is down," Glynda called to her former student. "Once you leave the kingdom borders you'll be out of contact."

"Don't worry, Professor," Pyrrha assured her, "I will live long enough to complete my mission."

Pyrrha sealed herself within her sphere and concentrating again, finding the magnetic current of the planet. Without solar radiation generating the plasma in the atmosphere to guide her motion she'd have to use Aura, but all it'd take is a little push to follow the planet's own rotation. And in an instant her sphere launched through the air, almost immediately disappearing over the horizon.

* * *

"Heave!" Matte Sky instructed the crew. They were momentarily distracted by… _something_ moving through the air, but Matte dismissed the flash of light as a shooting star and told them to get back to work. Her men continued to pull the ropes, hoisting their catch up from the water.

"What's going on?" the old Captain asked his first mate. "We've got to catch the gale if we want to make time to Menagerie. Why are you holding us here?"

"We found something, sir," Matte explained. "Or… someone."

The crewmen finished hauling him up, dumping his body -tangled in their ropes- onto the deck. Matte leaned over to inspect him, feeling his neck.

"Is he alive?" the Captain inquired.

"I think so," Matte confirmed, before instructing the crewmen: "Get him to the infirmary."

"Wouldn't have thought it like you to bring onboard a stowaway," the Captain mused as his men gathered up their catch and brought him inside.

"I thought him lost at sea, sir," Matte replied. "He might be from Vale, like some of the other refugees. Or he might just be a smuggler down on his luck. But either way he was in an ocean right next to a kingdom overrun by Grimm."

"No, I understand why you brought him up," the Captain assured Matte, gesturing his crewmate to follow inside. "I'm just not sure what the poor boy will think when he wakes up. Not many people are trying to find their way to Menagerie… we wouldn't even be going ourselves if I didn't owe those huntsmen the favor."

Matte nodded, stepping after the Captain. "If he doesn't want to remain, sir, we'll drop him at the next port we make harbor in. Assuming he's awake by then…"

The Captain peered inside the infirmary. "Anyone know who this boy is?"

His question went unanswered, his crewmen dully shaking their heads. The Captain sighed and looked down at the waterlogged man, long strands of red hair plastered against his forehead under a soggy red bowler with a handsome red stripe.


	4. Outstretched Hands

**Chapter Four: Outstretched Hands**

* * *

Neo was groggy when she woke to the sound of screaming. She tried to find the source of it, but it was over almost as soon as it began. She glanced frantically around, searching for… _anything_ that might explain what she'd heard, but her frame of vision was limited; she couldn't move her arms and legs while they were bound by rope and tied to the legs and back of a chair. It was a momentary hindrance, but she needed to concentrate her powers to find an escape. She couldn't simply blink until her mind was clear, and right now she was confused and still feeling the effects of injuries sustained battling the huntress.

All her captors surrounded her too, though none had fixed their attention upon her. They were all staring at some spot on the ground a few feet away. The orange haired girl in the pink skirt and the tall blonde boy were both on their knees, staring dumbfounded at empty air. The girl kept whispering something… the same word over and over again.

Ruby Rose stepped to the girl's side to put a hand on her shoulder. The orange haired girl's breathing became very labored, tears falling from her big blue eyes. The blonde boy stood up and walked towards her, trying to offer the same comforting hand… when he stopped suddenly mid-motion, reaching the same hand to clutch his chest as he cried out in sudden, unexpected pain.

Had this happened already? Was he suffering the same fate as the one to wake Neo?

At once Ruby Rose rushed to help him. The orange haired girl just looked on, her sobbing replaced by silence as she looked on in horror, her big eyes widening further. She started muttering the same thing over and over: "No no no no no…"

"Jaune!" Ruby Rose cried out, trying to grab hold of the boy, only for her hand to pass right through him. Neo narrowed her eyes at the sight: how had that tall boy become intangible? Was it a Semblance? Then why was it causing him pain?

Aura ran over his body in multiple waves of bright white light. He fell forward, scratching at the ground with his gloved fingers and groaning again and again. The others –Rose's tall blonde sister and her drunken huntsman uncle- tried to help as well, but couldn't take hold of him. All they could do was watch helplessly as his Aura continued to cycle through one layer after another. It seemed he had quite a lot of it… but each time the Aura cycled he seemed to suffer another hit that visibly (and audibly) pained him, and he writhed and thrashed on the ground… able to interact with the dirt and rock beneath him, if not the hands trying to anchor him.

But then the huntress clad in red intervened, unsheathing her sword with her left hand. With the flat of the hilt she pushed the drunken huntsman to one side, gently pressing Ruby Rose to the other with her right hand (which Neo quickly noticed took much more effort; was she injured?) and then sliced the air at their backs. Two portals opened between them, the blonde boy stuck in the middle of the black and red gates.

"Get in," she instructed. "This should hold you in place until whoever's trying to get in crosses over."

"Raven, what's going on?" the drunken huntsman demanded.

Raven. Neo's deadly opponent had a name. And quite an authoritative tone, it turned out: "I think some very bad people from my side are on their way here…"

Jaune crawled towards the open portal, dragging himself along the ground and grunting and wincing with every breath. Neo focused her attention on Ruby Rose, the silver-eyed girl's back still to her. But her blade was nowhere in sight…

Neo could drag her into the portal and kill her before the others noticed. But then they may not have much reason to leave those portals open, knowing their assailant resided on the other side of the black and red gate. Much as she wanted vengeance, she also recognized the need for leverage.

The blonde boy looked strong, but he was wounded and vulnerable. And Ruby Rose clearly valued his life… she may well barter for it, and if she _didn't_ Neo would be only too happy to do her further harm and look upon the pain in her eyes as Ruby Rose experienced the same torment she'd visited upon Neo… one friend, one family member, one loved one at a time.

He was nearly there. All their eyes were on Jaune dragging himself into the gap.

Neo's mind was clear. She focused her Aura and moved herself out from her bindings. The huntsman and huntress heard her escape and whirled around, but Neo had time enough to act. They moved to defend Ruby from her, but Ruby was _not_ Neo's target.

When Jaune finally forced himself inside the nearest portal, Neo dove in after him. Inside the black void she was able to take hold of him, dragging him by the collar of the hoodie under his armor plates, pulling him with her into the darkness.

"Jaune!" Ruby cried again.

Raven sneered. "No…"

* * *

 _Haven Vault_

Jaune emerged through the door, watching his Aura reconstitute itself. He clenched his fingers back and forth a few times, feeling as though he'd experienced some strong pressure, but comparatively little pain; at least compared to Lie on one knee down on the stone and collecting his breath. Jaune cast a cocky smirk down at his brother.

"I thought it'd take longer," Lie noted between gulping up much-needed air. "All your Aura…"

"I guess I forced my way through," Jaune suggested. "Hurry up and get it together, Ren. I don't want to wait on you."

Lie glared at Jaune, but only for a brief moment before turning his attention to the entrance to the underground cavern, the metal gate and the lift still intact. Lie pointed to it, drawing Jaune's notice. "Go ahead and call us a ride. I'll seal things on this side for now."

Lie turned his attention to the barren desert on the other side, the still largely-full Relic of Knowledge sitting in the open with no barrier to keep anyone from retrieving it. It would not do at all to leave the way unbarred.

While his brother walked over to find their way out, Lie carefully drew the seal closed once again, vowing that when he finally returned it'd be with his enemy Raven Branwen in tow to present to his parents and put all their minds at ease.

* * *

Nora heard Ruby try to call to her. She felt a hand on her shoulder trying to shake her, a voice urging her to snap out of it. She knew the voice was close and the touch right at hand but they both _seemed_ so very far away. What she heard and what she felt were outliers compared to all the thoughts devoted to what she'd just _seen_.

She hadn't been apart from Ren since they met as children in Kuroyuri, and Ren handed her a tiny wooden toy hammer. Ever since that moment he had been her dearest friend and only family, the one and only constant in her life and the person she loved most in all the world.

And now he was gone with no trace. And almost as quickly as Ren vanished, _Jaune_ started to… her teammate from Beacon, second only to Ren in terms of important people in her life. She felt herself trembling at the prospect of losing them both. She could barely respond to the rest of the world around her as she thought on what it meant to be alone without the ones who mattered most.

She'd been alone on occasion at Beacon, on the very rare occasions Ren was off by himself. Even those short periods without him left Nora _very_ tense and she'd start to dwell on the feelings of loneliness all over again… of cowering under an abandoned house while Grimm surrounded her, waiting in the cold and dark for death to take her… until Ren came and hid her from the monsters. When she found him again all that doubt and fear melted away; where would she find him now?

Ruby was still trying to reach out to her. Nora couldn't so much as focus her eyes on the dear friend she'd made at Beacon. It wasn't a young silver-eyed girl she saw before her.

It was the JNPR dorm, her three teammates gathered together… disappearing one by one… first Pyrrha… then Ren… then Jaune…

Leaving her alone…

Nora had to focus. Ruby was in danger, and now so was Jaune: both had come under attack by the same short girl. Giving Nora a place to focus her rage helped snap her back from despair, but she still didn't know where to look for Ren… though she had a theory someone else might know.

Nora turned her attention to Raven, Yang's mother who seemed so much more interested in doting on Ruby and claimed to recall a very different world from the one the rest of her family members seemed to know. She'd known of a way to protect Jaune… or at least to stall the process.

When Nora stood up, Ruby immediately reached to offer aid. But Nora's attention was all for the woman clad in black and red. "You said something about people from 'your side'," Nora observed, her tone much deeper than normal: protective instincts had asserted themselves and she'd shed any pretense of being bubbly and upbeat.

Raven turned her attention to the orange-haired girl. "I was trying to explain earlier: I have a theory as to how I've ended up here and why nothing has seemed to match up. Like Qrow mentioned, it sounds crazy… but given some of the things I've seen –some of the things I _know_ to be real- I think it's possible that this remnant isn't the one I'm from." She looked over at Ruby and Yang. "Though I think you may have already suspected that."

"It… seemed possible," Ruby gently suggested.

"I really would've preferred you'd just gone crazy," Qrow admitted.

Nora remained intently focused on Ren. She thought about why he might disappear, and why some other incarnation of him might want to chase after Raven, and how fearful she'd been of him upon Raven's arrival at the house. "Tell me about the Ren from your side," Nora instructed. "The one you called 'The Spring Knight'."

Raven's expression darkened. "He's tried to capture me many times. He tried to abduct Ruby."

"Why?" Nora interjected. "Why would Ren do that?"

"Because it'd please his mother," Raven replied. "Because he obeys his queen without question."

Nora used the title in jest often enough, but Raven was deadly serious in her tone. Nora faintly recalled that title being referred to once before, by a crazed Faunus named Tyrian who'd _also_ tried to abduct Ruby. Qrow cursed under his breath, identifying the woman Tyrian was so devoted to as Salem.

Why would Ren be working for Salem?

"How?" Nora demanded. " _Why_ would Ren ever believe Salem is his mother?"

"She lied, she whispered in his ear, she promised him something," Raven suggested. "Salem has always lied and deceived and cut deals with anyone foolish enough to think she'll honor her word. I don't know what she promised the Spring Knight but Salem earned his loyalty, and he was _relentless_ in chasing me."

It didn't stack at all. Nora could certainly see Ren being focused and determined and loyal to his family. But the thought of him _ever_ threatening someone like Ruby just boggled Nora's mind. She just glared steadily, even though she couldn't really think of a reason to be angry at Raven… especially given the alternative to Ren disappearing to some other Remnant was to believe he'd vanished entirely. Angry or not, at least if Raven _was_ telling the truth Ren was still alive… somewhere.

It was Yang's turn to intervene now. "You were going to tell us something about Salem. _And_ about Summer."

"And I will," Raven promised. "But while my portals are open we should try to retrieve your friend… and the psychopath who dove in after him."

* * *

Neo wasn't sure how to describe where she'd ended up: there was a visible red illumination that drained any other color save for an omnipresent black. She couldn't see floor beneath her feet, only knowing she stood on _something_ solid enough to support her weight and the weight of the boy she'd dragged in with her, still lying face down in the black.

She searched for the entrance Raven had created or the second portal Neo had _not_ traveled through but saw only black and red and a tall boy slowly dragging himself up. Neo wasn't sure where to go –or even how she was breathing or how long she'd be _able_ to breathe- but her instincts reasserted themselves at the sight of an enemy recuperating. Neo instinctively searched the tall boy for vulnerable joints to strike and keep him down and disabled. Without her blade she couldn't hope to match his strength and size, but she was confident she could outmaneuver him.

But as she watched Aura rebuild on his body, Neo came to a frightening realization: he had a _lot_ of it. In this dark place the Aura running along his frame was burning brightly, and while Neo could probably break through it with enough precision strikes, she began to wonder whether she'd use up too much energy striking methodically compared to this boy just lumbering up to his feet.

Neo weighed her options. She still meant to use the boy as a hostage but she didn't want to invest the effort to physically disable him, considering the wall she had to break through. She was still in an unfamiliar setting at the mercy of another huntress's Semblance and the boy was her only source of leverage. If she did him harm now she'd probably have her best chance of incapacitating him, but she'd also alienate the only other person trapped in this space with her.

Roman taught her not to spurn opportunity. She'd never met this boy, though if he was friends with Ruby Rose he _might_ have heard of her. She could try a tactic _other_ than beating him into submission, and in this unfamiliar red and black landscape Neo thought it wise not to lose a potential ally, if even only in the short term.

Neo crouched down to look at his blonde head, looking more pale and white in the omnipresent red. He was very tall –almost as tall as Roman had been- and even on his hands and knees he made Neo look diminutive. But for the moment she stood over him, and thought perhaps, at least for this first meeting…

Neo gently lifted his chin with her right hand so their eyes could meet. She searched him for some tell, some sign of deception… some reason to persuade her to resume her original course and beat him back down. Those blue eyes had no deceit behind them. He never even broke eye contact, which was quite a rarity when someone saw the two shades in Neo's eyes.

She wondered…

Neo stood back to full height, her finger gently trailing along the blonde boy's chin before she reached out with the same hand, offering him a chance to stand. Hopefully her instincts were correct and her gesture of good faith would reach this boy, rather than compel him to attack while Neo's guard was down.

He took hold of her hand and accepted her offer. Neo had genuine difficulty remaining in place to anchor him up, surprised by his heft. When he stood to full height he towered over her, and Neo briefly wondered if she'd been mistaken and he would simply crush her under his weight. She'd had the same thought when she met Roman… that he could break her. Roman then devoted a lot of time to teaching her how to beat someone bigger than she was, because that'd be the rule rather than the exception.

No time for fear now. She couldn't betray trepidation now that she'd decided to offer a helping hand.

The boy didn't seem sure how to respond to her. "So…" he began, "Hi."

Neo hoped he'd move through small talk quickly. But then, she wasn't sure what else there'd be for him to do in this red and black void. She dispelled the unhelpful thought of attacking him while he was distracted and waited to see how he'd proceed.

"I'm, uh, I'm Jaune Arc," he explained, extending his hand to shake. "I'm a friend of Ruby's."

Neo did her best not to glare. Did he think she was somehow unaware of that? Or was he trying to make her keenly aware where his loyalties lay?

Either way he was offering her his hand, just as Neo had to him. For a long time she just stared at his extended fingers, deciding how to proceed.

Eventually she returned the gesture, offering the loosest possible handshake, barely touching his much bigger hand. He seemed surprisingly understanding, returning the gesture without crushing her fingers under his own.

"Your name is 'Neo', right?" Jaune asked. "I've heard about your, um, exploits."

Neo thought on how to reply. She reached into her pocket, searching for her Scroll, but apparently someone had the foresight to take it from her before they bound her. Neo considered trying to sign a message to him, but she'd never really mastered the language… when she really needed something she'd just tug on Roman's coat and give him a look. When she needed to say something complex she typed it on her Scroll. What could she convey to this boy? What would he understand?

Neo pointed to her throat and made a slashing gesture. She quickly thought better of it and repeated the motion a second time, _much_ more slowly to try and convey an intent a bit less… hostile.

"I can… probably guess why you're here," Jaune said, surprisingly calm after Neo's threatening gesture. "But I'd _really_ like to try and convince you to rethink this and _not_ kill Ruby –or Yang, or any of us, really- if that's an option."

Was he... serious? Was he really trying to find some sort of peaceful resolution; some escape from her fury? Did he think Neo would accept some other form of recompense to sate her need for revenge?

Jaune didn't realize Neo's life didn't matter to her. Roman was dead, which was just a more complex way of saying Neo was dead too. The only thing in her life that mattered to her had been snatched away, and now the only thing that mattered to her was to repay the person responsible. Why should it matter if she died when this was done so long as Ruby Rose died with her?

But then, she'd fled into this void to try and negotiate a way out… a strategic retreat to live to fight another day. And she had deliberately _not_ attacked Jaune in hopes of ingratiating herself, to gain additional leverage by making one of her enemies hesitant to attack or useful in bartering for her escape.

She tried to stay composed. She tried to hear him out.

"I don't know what made you like this," Jaune admitted. "I won't pretend to understand why you turned out the way you did. But maybe at some point you knew that you shouldn't go running across continents planning to kill people?"

She'd had that time, certainly. And now it seemed all too brief a time, when life had been good. It really hadn't been that long before Roman fell under Cinder's thumb, forced to abandon a profitable lifestyle dancing circles around the Vale police to working with crazed Faunus terrorists and even Grimm. For some reason the last few months stood out so much more in her memory.

The last few seconds -standing beside Roman on the hull of Blue Two- stood out as clear to her as Jaune before her now.

"Look at where we are," Jaune suggested. "I won't pretend I can stop you -because honestly, I probably _can't_ \- but my friends _definitely_ can. As soon as you get out, they can stop you… maybe even kill you."

She didn't fear the words. She didn't fear the _act_.

"But I'm _really_ hoping it doesn't come to that," Jaune admitted. "Not if it's possible to try something else –to try _anything_ else- besides us fighting each other. Fighting each other didn't work out when you tried to attack my friends, and I'll bet I wouldn't be talking now if you just wanted to fight me too."

Neo had to concede he was correct there. But even that small step was proving difficult to take, because she was still trying to convince herself that she'd resume the battle soon enough and kill Ruby Rose after a strategic retreat and reevaluation. Roman wouldn't mind waiting a bit longer if he could know that Ruby Rose was dead.

"Look, when Raven lets us out –or whatever- how about instead of trying to attack us you just… I don't know, explain what went wrong, if you need help with anything," Jaune suggested. "There's _got_ to be a better way than just all of us trying to kill each other, right? There's got to be something else we can try."

What did he expect her to do? Shake Ruby Rose's hand and let bygones be bygones? _Forget_ that the girl killed her _only family_? Forget that Ruby Rose was the reason Neo was now alone in the world?

"There are people out there so much worse than Ruby," Jaune tried to persuade her. "And you don't have to be like them. You don't have to go killing people just because that was what you had to do before. Skills like yours'… I'm sure you'd make a great huntress."

He was definitely correct that there were worse out there, including some who could end up the target of Neo's vengeance. One amber-eyed brunette in red came to mind… and this black and red void made it easy for Neo to think of her.

But he was wrong on at least one count: someone _did_ have to die, and die at Neo's hand. And maybe she'd eventually stop killing people, sure… but that day wasn't coming until she felt Roman's soul could find peace, knowing his girl had avenged him. She hadn't really given thought to a _nything_ happening after that single mission was completed. She wasn't sure what would become of her when Roman's ghost was finally appeased, only that she wouldn't feel at peace until she'd honored his memory.

And while Ruby Rose had been the one to fight him on his last day, Roman would never have been in that fight had it not been for Cinder Fall… and the more Neo thought on that wicked woman, the more inclined she was to include her former ally on her list of targets. The more she _needed_ to live past this attack on Ruby Rose and kill one more before she was done.

That might make this boy and his friends useful allies… perhaps they could help her find Cinder and Neo would have one fewer name to haunt her thoughts. It was much further away than Ruby Rose and the fate she'd earned, but all revenge could be sweet…

* * *

Light filtered into their plane of red and black. Neo felt disoriented as she tumbled through something, but managed to land on her feet when she saw solid ground beneath her: the same dirt of the exterior of the house. Jaune had much less fortune, landing hard on his face yet again.

Neo saw the others raise their weapons: Ruby's scythe, Yang's gauntlets, Raven's sword, and the orange-haired girl's hammer. They surrounded her, and while she _might_ have been able to blink out of the path of their weapons and make it over the cliff, she had eventually decided on a specific plan… and she still had her leverage.

Neo briefly looked over each adversary around her before reaching down to offer her hand to Jaune for the second time, hoping that she'd be a little firmer the second time around… and more importantly, in front of an audience.

Jaune saw her hand before he saw any of his friends standing over him. He accepted Neo's offer once again and she managed to steady herself a little better when hoisting Jaune to his feet. Once he was standing on his feet again, Neo then placed her hands in the air, still shorter than Jaune at the tip of her fingers.

The orange-haired girl lowered her hammer and rushed over to embrace Jaune, hugging him tightly. Ruby Rose relaxed her grip on her scythe and placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling with barely restrained relief.

Neo waited for him to turn on her now that she'd given Jaune back to his friends. She waited to see if her leverage was worth anything, or if she'd be right back in her chair and sealed up again… or dead.

Raven and Yang seemed inclined to kill her, given the looks on their faces. But Jaune interceded, reaching his hand to Yang's metal wrist. "Guys… before we try anything, how about we give her a chance to explain herself?"

"What's to explain?" Raven demanded. "She tried to kill Ruby. I'd very much like to prevent that from happening… in as permanent a way as possible."

"For once I agree with you," Yang observed.

Yes, Yang would have reason to kill her after Neo humiliated her in their battle on the train; protecting her sister would just be icing on the cake. And Raven seemed pragmatic enough to kill a potential threat before it became a bigger problem. Neo wasn't sure how much influence Jaune had over the others, but at the moment it didn't seem his advice was taking. Maybe he could divert their attention long enough for Neo to find an opening and flee…

"What did she tell you, Jaune?" Ruby Rose wondered aloud. Neo rolled her eyes at the girl's clear lack of understanding.

"Guys," Jaune said, raising his other hand to the hilt of Raven's blade. The older huntress did not look at all pleased by his interjection, possibly leaving the biggest threat of all to take her eyes off her target, if only briefly… "I'm not saying we'll like what she has to say, but maybe we can _try_ solving our problems by talking instead of having to fight each other."

"She's not really the chatty type," Yang dryly noted. Neo did her very best not to smirk at the tall blonde girl, though she was _quite_ tempted.

Jaune continued to try and press Yang's hand down. "You'd really rather fight her than let her talk for five minutes?"

Yang probably _would_ prefer to punch her problems than talk about them, but she was clearly weighing Jaune's option. She glanced past him to look at her sister at Jaune's back. Now her eyes were off Neo too. That left one dangerous huntsman unaccounted for, but she had enough Aura for a second jump… she could retreat…

But Jaune was asking his friends for faith on her behalf. And while she might've once dismissed that as foolish and naïve, she could appreciate the effort: he may have been the only thing keeping her alive.

"Well…" Ruby Rose began before falling silent again, the others' attention all on her. She clearly wasn't sure what to do. Her eyes met Neo's… and unlike Jaune she wasn't as keen on maintaining eye contact. Perhaps she wanted to see Neo dead but wasn't willing to bloody her hands herself. Maybe she hoped her friends would do it for her.

But eventually Ruby Rose did decide on what to say. "… there's no harm in… talking, I guess…?"

Raven lowered her blade almost immediately. Was this powerful huntress taking orders from the silver-eyed girl?

Yang Xiao Long Neo expected to lower her fist; to defer to her team leader. The way was clear now for her escape… she could reach the cliff before either woman could flank her.

Then she saw Jaune's outstretched hand offering her a Scroll, a way to communicate with all of them. He'd been serious in his intent to let her speak to them, at the very least.

Ruby Rose… when Neo looked at her revenge dominated her thoughts. She was standing on the deck of Blue Two with her blade at the girl's throat, knowing she'd hesitated once already and Roman lost his life because of the girl whose life slipped right through Neo's fingers.

Jaune Arc… his outstretched hand reminded Neo of another, one that gave a starving urchin a chance at a life beyond the poverty she'd known before… a hand offering her a better future than the one she'd expected.

She was a fool to think things might get better just because she wanted them to… but a far greater fool if she hadn't learned from Roman's outstretched hand.

Neo accepted the Scroll and set to type. She wasn't sure where to begin… there was a lot to discuss.

The orange-haired girl clung tightly to Jaune. He turned his attention from Neo to her, pulling her in closer and assuring her things would be okay… that they'd find someone named Ren and bring him back.

For some reason that sight greatly irritated Neo…

Raven, meanwhile, turned her attention to Yang and Ruby, still keeping a single eye on Neo. "I'm not sure why you think this one's worth the time."

"She's a pretty good fighter," Yang conceded, clearly having difficulty speaking to Raven. "Maybe Jaune thinks we could use the help."

"We could," Ruby acknowledged. "If that weird Tyrian guy is anything to go by, Salem's got some bad people working for her."

"Salem," Yang repeated, focusing her attention on Raven. "Why were you and Qrow talking about Summer before? What does she have to do with Salem? Why do you think Salem wants Ruby?"

Ruby only faintly nodded along. Neo stopped typing when she heard someone else held an interest in Ruby Rose, intently listening in.

"It's about her silver eyes," Raven explained. "It's about how they can control the Grimm."

"What?" Ruby exclaimed. "Uncle Qrow told me Grimm are _scared_ of silver eyes!"

"And that is _how_ Salem rules them," Raven explained. "Fear. Fear of what she can do with just a look."

Yang was starting to catch on, but Ruby hadn't yet made the leap. "But how did Salem get them?"

"Ruby…" Yang began, reaching over to her sister.

"She stole them," Raven interjected. "She stole them from Summer and took them as her own. Just as she always has."

Ruby was too devastated thinking of the mad witch doing her mother harm to focus on the true meaning of Raven's words. She was too distraught to see Raven's eyes move past Ruby Rose to her brother Qrow –finally in Neo's sight- tending to a young boy in overalls who looked _quite_ uncomfortable, hunched over on one knee. She strained to listen in on what these two unnoticed participants had to say.

"What is it, Oz?" Neo heard the older huntsman whisper.

Oz? As in _Ozpin_? The deceased headmaster?

"Something's wrong," the boy told Qrow between haggard breaths. "Something's… out of place… too heavy… can't…"

He tumbled forward into the dirt. Qrow hastened to help him up, Ruby breaking ranks from her sister and Raven to join them. "Oscar!"

Oscar? Hadn't Qrow called him Ozpin?

What had she come upon…

* * *

 _Salem's Keep_

She felt the tremor hit her… only her, and not the castle forged into the red stone of her kingdom. Weight pressed down upon her, a terrible pressure that struck with force and nearly drove Salem from her throne and face down into her meeting table.

What had done this? What had put her out of balance?

She wasn't sure where it'd come from, but _something_ was pressing down upon her, the air around her too thick and heavy. Salem forced herself to stand, to leave her table and peer outside at the pools of black blood. Her Grimm were growing stronger, with more forged in the dark than ever before, but they were proceeding as they were meant to. She couldn't sense anything different in the newforged, only the same murderous intent, hatred, and sorrow of all their kin.

Not them. But then… who?

Ozpin, reincarnated once again? No, this was far too powerful. At this stage in his long life Ozpin's return passed by completely unnoticed; his fires burned so low.

No this was… something she'd never felt before. A weighty pull, with pressure that burnt like fire at her touch. There was something _new_ at play, magic like Salem hadn't seen emerge into this remnant for thousands of years, since she first experienced Ozpin's power.

If anything… it felt almost like a new Maiden…

The Seer beside her table reverberated. Someone was trying to reach her.

Had Cinder found the Spring Maiden already? Had she killed the girl and stolen the power for herself? If she had, and _this_ was the result, she'd become even more formidable than Salem anticipated… fortunately she was still branded into Salem's thrall with the Grimm powers the witch granted her disciple.

But when she responded to the Seer's message, Salem was disappointed by the caller. She was in no mood for his sniveling, and she'd yet to clearly identify the disturbance affecting her. Still, Salem answered: "What is it, Leonardo?"

The Faunus headmaster came into view in the Seer's flesh, fingers tented and head slightly bowed in supplication. "Your Grace, two of your followers have come to see me at Haven Academy. They've requested an audience."

Two? Watts was supposed to be with Cinder… but Salem presumed Cinder would be traveling with her two underlings. Perhaps they'd simply waited elsewhere…

Did Cinder already have the Relic? Had she _used_ it? That too might explain what she felt. "Let them speak then."

Lionheart bowed and stepped aside… and Salem did not recognize the two who addressed her now. One was so covered in Aura he all but blinded Salem, even through the Seer's transmitted reflection. The other wore green and looked upon Salem with intense pink eyes. "My Queen," the boy in green greeted, bowing low. The taller boy beside him stood at attention, but didn't match his colleague's gesture.

"I do not know you, child," Salem noted. "Why are you professing loyalty to me?"

"Because you taught me to pay proper respects," the boy in green replied. "I was instructed to first present myself to the Queen and ask her blessing before I claimed something in her dominion… one of her many subjects on this remnant."

He was polite and formal. Such rare traits these days… "And who told you to seek my favor?" Salem wondered.

" _You_ did, your Grace," the boy replied. "Or rather… you did in another time and place."

She wasn't in the mood to piece together what this boy was alluding to, and she'd been quite enjoying his sense of propriety beforehand. "I do not care to guess," Salem replied. "Tell me what you mean."

The boy opened his hand before the Seer. One after another, elements moved over his flesh: fire, ice, wind… all drawn from himself with no visible Dust capsules to create the bursts. He stood once more before his comrade covered in Aura, burning brightly but never seeming to end.

Salem had seen this power many times; she knew it well. A Maiden's power incarnate inside this boy?

"My Queen, we have come to do your work, from one remnant to the other," the boy in green further explained. "And we have come to obtain something that does not belong in this world… an anomaly that stole a portion of our king's magic and fled here."

King? "Perhaps you should start at the beginning," Salem suggested.

"As you will, my queen," the boy in green agreed. "It began when our father Ozpin sought your Grace's hand..."

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Lie Ren found himself lying on the dirt. He almost immediately jumped to his feet, looking around for his friends –for Nora, for Jaune, for Ruby- and found nothing but dirt beneath his feet and rubble where the house Ruby's uncle rented once stood. What possibly could have happened? What had he missed?

Ren searched for signs of danger over his head or at his back. There was much less light than he expected there to be… where were the lamps that lined Mistral's streets? Where was the illumination of the structures above beside Haven Academy?

When Ren looked out over the cliffside he did not see the bustling city streets of Mistral carved into the mountain: just more wreckage and rubble where a proud kingdom once stood.

Was he in the future? Or the past? Had the Grimm arrived in force and overwhelmed the kingdom? Had they failed to stop Salem and her ilk from retrieving the relic at Haven Academy? Most important of all: where were his friends?

Ren dug into his pocket for his Scroll. He first tried Jaune… and found no signal at all. Next Nora, and nothing. Finally Ruby, and while his Scroll did seem to locate another connection point and Ren audibly heard ringing, Ruby did not respond. Still, it was something.

If he could reach Ruby at all she was somewhere where the kingdom of Mistral's own CCT could reach. Which… still left an enormous land mass to scour and Ren had no idea where to begin.

His eyes lifted off his Scroll when he spotted something moving in the dark ruins far below him. People?

Ren wasn't sure who awaited him down there. He would approach with caution, slowly scaling down from the cliff while keeping himself as hidden as possible among the rocks and foliage.

When he drew nearer he recognized their Grimm masks and the logo they wore on their backs. The White Fang? And more than he'd seen since the Battle of Beacon… dozens of them wandering through the destroyed homes and shops, searching.

Searching for what? Or for _whom_?

They were Faunus. Even in the dark they'd find him, so Ren had to very carefully draw away without being noticed. He slipped towards the most intact storefront he could find, looking for somewhere to hunker down.

"Going somewhere?"

Ren didn't know the voice. He only knew the intent.

He'd left Storm Flower behind in his room, but hadn't forgotten his father's dagger. He'd drawn it before he'd even seen his assailant. He waited for the strike to come.

Instead she emerged from nowhere, appearing from the darkness and changing shades from black to light brown, with prominent spots lining her arms and face and long, reddish-brown hair. Ren thought she'd appeared from nowhere… but took note of her two part suit and black boots and realized her skin had been a _slightly_ different tone before she changed it. She seemed to be unarmed, though her gray eyes were fixed on Ren's dagger.

"Who are you?" Ren demanded.

"My name is Ilia," the woman greeted. "I've been sent to collect you, Spring Knight."

Raven had called him the same. And the man Raven mistook him for sounded like quite the villain, if he'd threatened Ruby. But it seemed Raven's insanity was no longer limited to Raven herself… was she with the White Fang? She didn't look like a Faunus...

"The Queen mentioned you might not know this about yourself," Ilia acknowledged. "If you'll come with me, we will escort you to her."

"Escort me to whom?" Ren inquired.

Ilia seemed surprised. "To the Queen. To Salem."

Ren was again on his guard. "I'm afraid I can't comply with that request."

"The Queen's instructions were that you be brought to her alive," Ilia explained, before drawing something from behind her back, some sort of device with a curved handle… and a long, thin blade. "And I will carry out her orders."

Ren was right about her intent. And the fighting would only draw the White Fang's attention to them.

But he was trapped between rubble and a mountain at his back. He had nowhere to flee to, and his ancestral weapon in hand.

"Very well," Ren agreed. "Do what you must."

He readied himself. This time Ilia obliged him. Their blades clashed, a single flashing spark in the omnipresent dark.


	5. Take Me to Your Leader

**Chapter Five: Take Me to Your Leader**

* * *

 _Bandit Camp, North of Mistral_

Weiss could sense the bandits were growing restless. They were already an unruly, vicious mob: thieves and murderers all sequestered in tight quarters. The only piece of information she had to go on was that their leader had met with someone and then departed. She probably wasn't _supposed_ to know that, but her captors weren't being very discreet when discussing their prisoner. Without a strong leader to keep them in line, they were falling back on their natures… and doing what came naturally to them.

Or at least _planning_ to.

"We should talk to the White Fang," suggested one of the many shady characters assigned to watch her cell, openly discussing his plan to betray his chief's plan with his comrades. "If we can't get her to Atlas I'll bet Adam Taurus would pay a handsome sum of Lien for the head of a Schnee."

"You trust those animals to have any money?" one of his colleagues argued. "If we want to get the message out we should contact the Mistral Council and hold her to ransom. I'll bet they'll do _anything_ to avoid war with Atlas, including empty their coffers! We tell them we've got Jacques Schnee's little girl and they'll pay us right out of their treasury just to keep our mouths shut!"

"And then what, we tell them to come by and pick her up? They aren't Atlas, but they _do_ have an army. At least with the Fang we only have that red haired freak to deal with…"

Weiss was picking up on a lot more than she expected to. Adam Taurus –Blake's old partner- had apparently rose to a position of leadership with the White Fang in Anima. A reward for all the terrible things he did during the Battle of Beacon? Or maybe some sort of power struggle within the White Fang?

And the war with Atlas… Vernal had alluded to the possibility before, but the way the bandits under her were talking about it now it seemed like a certainty. That would not do at all, because she was _sure_ her father was heavily involved in rattling sabers and pushing for the war effort, because he'd make a fine profit off the carnage with robots of his scientist's design and powered by his Dust reserves fighting in the field. And of course in the chaos of war he could easily dispatch his own forces into Anima to find his wayward daughter and force her to come home… or maybe even pay off these bandits for her once he knew where she was. Had that already started?

Questions for later. Right now she had to escape her bindings and make it to the city. She didn't know for _sure_ Ruby was there, but Haven Academy _was_ and if nothing else a huntress in training could probably take shelter at a huntsman academy. She'd make her way to Ruby if an opportunity presented itself… and without their leader to keep them in line Weiss figured she could find a way through these bandits.

She glanced at her progress on the bars. She still had a few hours to go before dawn, and two of the metal impediments had been whittled down. If she was careful and her summoned knight precise, Weiss would carve an opening to be ready at any moment.

She'd rest one day longer if she could. If their leader remained missing, then Weiss would just need the bandits' arguments over money to get _serious_. Whenever Lien got involved with too many hands to divvy it up, violence was sure to follow… and that would be her window.

* * *

 _Mistral_

Oscar was slow to his feet, still clutching the side of his head. He hadn't _quite_ managed to dull the pain of two separate minds affected by the same phenomena, but he was able to stand, if only unsteadily. "I'm… sorry," Oscar began, addressing Qrow in particular. "Something came over me… some terrible imbalance that I couldn't account for."

Except _Ozpin_ apparently had some idea what had affected them. He'd simply yet to explain it to the boy whose body he now shared. "What do you mean 'imbalance'?" Qrow inquired, snapping him from the thought.

Ozpin relayed something… some half-truth for Oscar to convey. "I'm not sure exactly how to put it. There's… this terrible sound, this horrible _echo_ that just keeps hitting me. Ozpin's sensitive to a lot of different forces in the world, and something is so out of whack it's really affected him. And he's pretty sure Salem's felt it too."

Oscar turned his eye to Jaune and Neo, then back to Raven. "You… used your Semblance twice in succession. You kept bouncing them back and forth, anchoring Mister Arc in place and outside this world. When he came back _into_ it… as soon as he set foot on Remnant's ground again everything fell out of balance."

"You knew how to help him," Ruby pointed out to Raven. "What did you do?"

Raven held up her left hand. "One moment. Qrow…" She glanced between Oscar and her brother. "…is this boy who I think he is?"

Qrow nodded. "Yeah. This is the new Oz. His name's Oscar."

Raven set to unsheathe her sword again. "Good."

"Wait!" Ruby frantically interjected, leaping in Raven's way before she could attempt to cleave the freckled boy in two. "Don't hurt him! He's one of the good guys!"

Raven scoffed. "He betrayed Summer. He betrayed Tai. He betrayed _you_. He took my family from me and you think I'll _ever_ believe he's on our side?"

"In your world, maybe!" Ruby exclaimed, rapidly waving her hands about. "But this _isn't_ your world, Raven! Professor Ozpin's helping us fight Salem a-and now Oscar is too!"

Raven looked at those pleading silver eyes. She'd never been able to refuse them.

Even when they weren't the ones she knew.

Raven sighed and relaxed her grip on the hilt of her sword, before turning to look at Qrow. "Were you planning to tell me, brother?"

The last word was laced with potent venom. Raven had turned to Qrow for trust and support, and his omission of this particular fact clearly hurt worst. She'd only been able to open up because her twin had been there to listen to her. That trust was the only thread holding them together.

"Yes," Qrow assured her, "Eventually. But the way you went on about Ozpin betraying you on your… uh, _side_ , I thought we should kind of… ease into that point. Given you were about to pull a sword on this kid, it looks like that was the right call."

Raven sighed. She would give him that one. "Fine. Ruby, my Semblance allows me to open a portal to anyone I've bonded with. I opened one to you and to Qrow while you were near each other. Jaune and Neo couldn't go through the gate when there was no way out on the opposite side: only two entrances and no exit. They ended up in the pathway between, and remained there before your friend disappeared."

Yang took a moment's pause upon hearing Raven's explanation. Her mother had a bond with _Ruby?_

Well, that explained how she got to the house before Qrow and herself, and where that last teleport had taken her. But the way her dad had explained it, Aura had to infuse a portion of her Aura –a piece of her _soul_ \- into the person to lock onto in order to reach them, or be tied to them by blood as she was with Qrow and Yang. Raven performed the ritual of binding her Aura with Tai and Summer… had she at some point done the same to Ruby? Or had Ruby inherited it somehow from Summer?

"How did you know what was happening to Jaune?" Nora demanded, finally releasing her grip on her teammate and inquiring of Raven.

"I didn't _know_ , but I _thought_ it might be because of what happened to your friend the Spri- **Ren**." Raven replied, before stepping over to Jaune. Neo watched her apprehensively as the older huntress addressed the tall boy. "Tell me, boy, how well do you know your friend, Ren?"

"He's very important to me," Jaune answered. "He's the brother I never had."

Raven sighed. "Then I _am_ right. And they've come to this side. They're here now just as I am."

"Who?" Qrow wondered.

Raven turned to address him, jerking a thumb back at the confused Jaune. "I've never seen anyone like this boy before, but I know the Spring Knight has a partner… a 'brother' he fights alongside under Salem's command. I've heard some… unsavory rumors about him, but he wasn't the one Salem sent to capture me."

"Jaune's working for Salem in your world too?" Ruby asked, stunned at the very notion.

"I didn't know his name," Raven replied. "I've only ever heard him referred to as 'the Fall Knight.'"

Ozpin's mind was racing now, only worsening things for Oscar as the old headmaster tried to draw a conclusion without letting his young partner completely understand his thought process. Again he offered only a partial explanation, imparting on Oscar to ask questions. "You are familiar with the Maidens, aren't you, Mrs. Xiao Long?" Yang noticeably tensed up at the title, clearly having trouble processing it, "How is it possible for these powers to exist inside a man?"

"The powers came from _you_ , didn't they, wizard?" Raven mockingly answered. Yet another inquiry that left Yang stunned and speechless, "As near as I can tell, you took them back and just stuffed them somewhere else." Raven crossed her arms and looked to the side. "That's why you- **he** 's sent the Spring Knight to capture me: he wants the magic he bequeathed to me back so he can restore his power. He already stole it back from Qrow… and ripped it out so forcefully I thought he'd killed him. That was why I was so surprised when you-" She turned her attention to Yang, "-told me to take you to him. I was so relieved to see my brother was alive."

Their strange meeting at the bandit camp came back to Yang in sharp relief. Then when Raven emerged from the portal and rushed over to glomp Qrow like Ruby jumping on his arm… yes, she believed it now. She believed this was _not_ her mother, no matter what her eyes conveyed. Considering what she'd just heard about Ozpin… it somehow sounded _less_ absurd that her mother had been replaced by a doppelganger from another world than it did that magic was real and her old headmaster was actually a wizard from a fairy tale who gave control over the elements to four maidens. Considering her mom could open portals to anyone she'd bonded with and Torchwick's former lackey had apparently decided to at least _postpone_ her plans to kill Ruby after a talk with Jaune inside some pocket dimension, Yang found she had a new standard for just what sounded crazy and what sounded plausible.

She was amazed at how quickly she got used to weird things.

"When you first came here, you asked me if Ozpin had a relic," Ruby interjected, instantly catching the attention of Jaune, Qrow, and Oscar. "Did you mean the Relic of Knowledge? 'Cause that's the one here in Haven we're trying to-" She abruptly stopped when she took notice of the still very much present Neo, listening _quite_ intently.

Raven eyed the girl with similar suspicion, but it didn't deter her from talking. "No. On my side, Ozpin and Salem have had the Relic of Knowledge for some time, and have been drinking deep from its magic, trying to steal all the brothers' gifts from the world for themselves. I wanted to know if Beacon's relic –the Relic of Choice- was still in Ozpin's possession. I knew he _had_ it for some time, but it was taken from him with half of the Fall Maiden's powers… half that remained incarnate inside a woman named Amber."

"Wait, wait," Qrow stepped in. "There's still a Fall Maiden on your side too?"

"Yes and no," Raven answered. "The woman named Amber expired, but her Aura was bound to a machine that was able to anchor it in place, and eventually transfer into a suitable vessel and keep it away from Ozpin's grip."

"But Cinder _killed_ the woman in the vault before her Aura could be transferred," Jaune interjected. "I was there: I saw it happen."

"I don't know the name," Raven quickly dismissed. "And I don't know what became of her in your time, but in mine her gift was the _only_ reason we had any chance fighting against Ozpin. With that relic in hand he'd have washed away any opportunity to resist him… even turned anyone strong enough to fight for him to his cause if he wanted. We entrusted it to Ruby's teammate and she returned to Atlas."

"Weiss?" Ruby wondered.

"I don't know," Raven admitted. "I was looking forward to hearing about the friends you'd made at Beacon but I never got the chance. The only reason I trusted her to take the relic back with her was because she said she was your teammate… and maybe some part of me thinks that still counts for something."

Qrow took a look around. "I'm sure we're all… curious as to what just happened, but it's the middle of the night and we've all had a long day before this. We should get some rest; talk about this more in the morning." He leaned down to support Oscar at his shoulder, helping the freckled boy back inside.

Ruby turned to look at Nora, who was still glaring at the back of Raven's head. "Yeah… sounds like a plan." She stepped over to the shorter girl, putting a comforting arm over Nora's shoulder. "Come on. It'll help." Nora eventually complied, stepping back inside the house and Jaune lumbered after them.

Yang prepared to step after her sister, but Ruby very subtly shook her head. Yang wasn't sure what bond they'd formed, but the thought of Nora without Ren… yeah, she could see why Nora would need someone to be there for her right now. And Ruby'd been traveling with Nora and Jaune for months, so Yang could understand why Ruby's presence would be comforting.

Though that left her there with Raven… and Neo. Of all the people she could be stuck with. Neo and Raven's eyes were both locked in the same direction, at Ruby…

Raven thought Ruby was her daughter. Neo had come –at least at first- to kill her. So hopefully if one tried something the other would cancel out her efforts.

Though that thought probably wouldn't help Yang when she tried to find sleep, knowing that finding her sister again had brought a lot more problems than she expected.

* * *

 _Salem's Keep_

"And what –exactly- do you expect me to contribute to your mission?" Salem asked, whimsically waving her hand. "While I believe your… admittedly fascinating tale, I'm afraid I don't see the benefit in letting you run loose."

"Once we have the anomaly, we will depart back to our home," Lie explained. "And in order to _return_ home we will open the vault to the garden and grant you the Relic of Knowledge. And if possible, we'd be eager to trade resources in whatever capacity we are able… and allow two queens to rule over two remnants."

It had a certain appeal… but the thought of a world outside her control was _far_ more alarming to Salem than it was enticing. If these boys had found their way from one world to another, it was possible they could find their way back without her help… so what did they gain from the alliance? If it sounded too good to be true…

"You warned me you'd be difficult to convince," Lie interjected. "That your Grace would be skeptical, or even hostile. That is why she instructed me not to ask for your Grimm or your minions… only permission to set foot in your dominion."

"You have _already_ set foot in my dominion," Salem reminded him. "What good is the formality?"

"To show you we are serious, your Grace," Lie assured her. "We _will_ capture the anomaly and we will trespass only long enough to do so. If this is amenabl-"

His blonde partner stepped in, pushing the boy aside. "What say we skip the formalities?"

Salem had actually quite enjoyed someone showing her proper respect, but she could appreciate not mincing words. "Go on."

"The woman we're after is Raven Branwen," Jaune explained. "The one you have is from our side… and the one _we_ have is the one you need to open the vault."

"Why would Raven Branwen be able to-"

"Raven Branwen –your Raven Branwen- is the Spring Maiden," Jaune explained. "She's the one you need. You let us catch the one _we_ need, and we swap. We won't stay any longer than we have to… unless you want some other payment than the relic."

Salem reached a finger up to her chin as she considered his offer. She knew Branwen _had_ the Maiden, but this… perhaps that was what was affecting her now: these boys and their powers. Cinder remained in Anima, and thus, perhaps… just possibly… there was too much magic free in her world and knocking it out of balance.

That was a dangerous position to occupy. And if these two gave her the relic and departed, handing over _another_ Maiden in the process…

"Very well," Salem agreed. "Find her and bring her to Haven. I will contact my agents to rendezvous with you… in case you aren't strong enough to defeat Branwen yourself."

She would need to contact the others. Tyrian and Hazel had been quietly dispatching the huntsmen throughout Mistral, but Cinder and Watts were close to the bandit camp with the coordinates Lionheart had provided. Tyrian was still wounded, and even with new allies offering their help Salem had no wish to show _any_ weakness. She'd make sure that when these boys met her warriors they had no reason to turn their eye from their objective.

"There is no need, your Grace," Lie assured her. "I owe the anomaly a reckoning… and I will deliver it."

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ren clashed his dagger again against Ilia's whip, struck by an electrical discharge with each impact, his Aura taking one hit after another. He was stronger than Ilia and his technique better practiced, but her Aura had yet to suffer any damage. Each time his father's dagger struck her whip, electricity ran over the surface of the blade and zapped his hand. The weapon was simply too small and had such a limited range he couldn't _help_ but be shocked.

But he had other techniques, other tricks he'd learned. Without Storm Flower close range was his only option. Ren waited for his opponent to go on the offensive and then adjusted his tactics, dodging the arc of her swing and aiming a high kick for her elbow. Aura would protect her from the first few blows, but enough strikes in strategic locations…

Ilia was smart: she quickly caught on to what he was trying, but she didn't have the strength for martial arts to be practical. She extended the length of her whip and thus made her swings wilder and faster… and much harder for Ren to find an opening. He kept retreating from her attacks, but he had nowhere to run to… just rock and rubble in either direction.

Ren wasn't used to uncoordinated strikes, but he knew how they could be effective: Jaune and Nora had taught him a bit about the advantages to brute force over finesse. Ren waited for Ilia to attempt to retract her whip after a swing before launching himself into a full-bore charge and tackling the girl at her midsection, pushing her hard into the ground. Aura might've prevented her from taking much damage from the surprise hit, but he'd still manage to knock the wind out of her.

Ren moved his father's dagger to rapidly strike Ilia's right hand, to break through her defensive barrier and knock her whip from her hand. Ilia struggled from her pinning predicament under him, but couldn't manage to free herself before Ren forced the weapon from her grip. Ren slid off Ilia himself and collected it in his free hand.

Ilia sneered and turned her entire body as black as her bodysuit. She all but vanished from his sight, the only clue to her presence the sound of her shuffling feet as she dashed… _somewhere_ off his flank.

Ren heard her White Fang comrades drawing nearer. He searched for some place he could retreat to… but as this girl had already spotted him, he had to deal with her before he could go anywhere. If she could just vanish like that, he'd have no way of knowing for sure if she'd pursue him.

Ren carefully concentrated. He couldn't hope to see her in the dead of night, but with his Semblance…

He counted his heartbeats. He breathed deeply and slowly. He found calm and serenity in this unfamiliar, frightening place.

A gray color swept over his Aura, cloaking him in it. His light faded from the Grimm's sight –if there were Grimm nearby to be had- and more importantly, the light of _others_ ' Aura became more vivid.

She was still hidden well: just a small flicker in the darkness, a tiny distortion in the calm. But that just made her easier for Ren to find, because no matter how dark she made her skin she couldn't smother the light of her soul.

Ren struck with Ilia's own whip, blasting her with electricity. The discharge washed over Ilia and she fell backwards, her Aura trying to rebuild itself after the impact, only for Ren to press his knee to Ilia's stomach and hold his father's dagger to her throat.

"Call them off," Ren instructed. "Tell your comrades to go."

Ilia only glared at him. "Kill me. I won't return to the High Leader empty-handed."

Ren didn't want to do her further harm if it could be helped. "Don't make me do this. Just tell them to leave."

Ilia remained defiant. Ren very nearly cursed to himself before hastily lifting off her and once again striking with her whip, shocking her again. Ilia cried out and gesticulated violently from the discharge before lying still, her skin returning to its natural color. Ren listened closely to ensure she was still breathing, then headed towards the ruined shop and then past it to another blasted structure, hoping the gray cloak over his Aura might make him harder to notice… even for Faunus.

Fortunately, it seemed the White Fang had fixed their attention on their fallen comrade, collecting her small frame and tending to her. They were certainly less ruthless than Ren recalled them being at Beacon…

He hunkered down in a third structure and watched them from afar. One pulled out his Scroll and spoke into it, addressing someone. "The Spring Knight has eluded us, High Leader. He took out the commander."

"Is she alive?"

Ren _knew_ that voice…

"Yes, High Leader," the White Fang soldier confirmed. "It seems he's more merciful than we'd heard."

"He's sending a message," the High Leader replied. "Do _not_ stop your search for him. The Queen wants him, and we will deliver him… whatever it may cost us."

Ren was so stunned he lost all his emotional control, his cloak fading away as he realized where he'd heard the voice… many times from across the hall, in the dorm of their sister team at Beacon.

 _Blake_?

* * *

 _Lake Matsu_

She meant to travel south first… some part of her had instinctively sought to return home, to see her parent's house again and find a countryside not wracked by the Grimm's devastation. But she knew that was a sentiment she didn't have time to indulge. Her family would have no reason to know where Ruby Rose had gone.

Instead she searched for sights of battle… places where conflict had recently occurred. And as she piloted her sphere north she saw a towering column of smoke on the banks of the great lake and when she drew nearer she saw the source: a downed Atlesian ship.

An Atlas ship this far inside Animan borders? Pyrrha tried not to think on what she'd known of her own world. Why would Atlas make an incursion into this continent?

A closer inspection of the wreckage yielded an answer: Dust, or at least its remnants. It might've simply been a smuggler shot down, or who ran short of luck after encountering the hive of Lancers in the lake.

Pyrrha's curiosity drove her closer. When she set down and stepped outside her sphere she found tracks leading away from the wreck… a lot of tracks. And more immediately, a set of tracks from a relatively small footprint that abruptly stopped and then stopped, as though hoisted from the ground and carried away.

Pyrrha told herself this was unrelated… but again reminded herself not to think of what she'd known in her world. This _could_ be something relevant to her search… or it could waste time she didn't have to spare.

Anima was a big place and all she knew for certain was that Ruby was heading for the capital. She should dismiss her find and head into the city and try to find her answers there.

But she was compelled now… thinking of someone wounded or abducted…

Pyrrha sighed. Some habits were hard to break.

* * *

 _Mistral_

Neo attempted to sleep. She tried as she could to rest when surrounded by people who'd tried to kill her only hours beforehand… but then, she'd tried to kill one of their own, so she probably wasn't the only one having trouble acclimating.

The kids from Beacon barely slept at all, and once they awoke they stepped outside their house to train. They were miserably ineffective fighters –especially Jaune- but they were determined. Neo could respect _that_ , if nothing else.

Raven and Qrow continued to step aside to talk. The girl Nora only sat off to the side, looking at the ground and sniffling. Neo recognized the look. She'd seen it far too often. She knew how it tasted.

Neo felt no need to train –certainly if she was going to practice any of her techniques she'd do so far out of sight of the older huntsman and huntress who could so quickly deal with her. And she very much wanted to avoid looking at Nora, and reliving the pain Neo knew her to be going through now.

Neo thought she could find a suitable distraction with a meal; it'd been more than a day since she'd eaten. Jaune found her while she was raiding the fridge. The Beacon kids had terrible taste, but at least someone was smart enough to buy ice cream. A pity they'd never eat any of it, now that Neo had found the stash.

"Hey," the blonde boy greeted. "Sorry I've been bugging you so much lately, I just... I thought I could help out, with all the things you're going through."

Neo kept her back to him so he wouldn't see her roll her eyes. Not that she wanted to spare his feelings, she just didn't want to give any indication that his words affected her at all.

Neo was pouring a few big scoops into a bowl when he said: "Ruby told me you lost someone."

She hesitated only a moment, but played it off that she was considering stopping at two, before adding a third flavor to her dessert bowl. With her back still to him, he couldn't see Neo narrow her eyes.

Was that how Ruby Rose described it? That Neo _lost_ someone? Not that Ruby Rose _killed_ him?

It was better than her boasting about it... but not by much.

"I lost someone too," Jaune added. "My partner. She died fighting that woman, Cinder."

Good. He had reason to hate Cinder as much as Neo did. Hopefully he knew how to use that sword and could do some damage before Neo landed the killing blow on their common foe. But given what little she'd seen of the kids' training session, maybe not.

Neo tried not to be angry. He was trying to relate to her, trying to bond over their shared loss. He meant well, he just didn't understand.

How could he? He'd lost his partner, his friend, maybe someone he cared for deeply. But he hadn't lost _everything_.

Roman _was_ everything; all that Neo had. His death would've killed Neo too, had she not been too consumed with anger and vengeance to allow herself to die. The only reason she lived now was to take revenge on Ruby Rose… well, okay, maybe not Ruby Rose for the moment… but _certainly_ Neo would kill Cinder Fall for putting Roman in that position in the first place.

"I just thought.. if you ever wanted to talk..." he began. Why was he speaking to her now? Was he trying to avoid helping his friend Nora in Neo's favor? If so, he'd been _very_ poor in his word choice.

Neo turned to face him this time so he'd clearly see her roll her eyes at him. He really was a moron.

"Sorry," Jaune quickly followed. "I... I just meant that if you needed help I'd be there to help you. I don't want you to think you're alone here, just because things are a little tense between you and... some of my other friends."

Tense? Only because Jaune convinced Neo there was a better target for her fury. And only temporarily... the alliance of convenience would serve its purpose, and then if Ruby survived... well...

Neo sat at the dining table to eat her dessert. No need to indulge that thought now. A nice meal would help improve her mood.

 _Would_... were it not for Jaune joining her, sitting across the table. It would be awkward enough just having him nearby, but now he was sitting across from her and watching her eat.

Though not long. He pointed his eyes down at the table surface, deep in thought. _So_ deep Neo became genuinely curious what he was thinking, and momentarily stopped spooning one flavor after another.

"I'm sorry for what you lost, I really am," Jaune went on. "I'm trying to think about what you've been through, and what Nora's going through too. When I think about where I am now... I just don't know how I would've got here without her. Sometimes I expect her to walk in the door, like she's been missing for a while, like she's not really gone, like she's just... not here right now. And then I remember that she's gone, and I'm still here and things aren't like they were." He looked towards the door out back, where his friend Nora and Ruby Rose and her sister still lingered. No doubt they had some shared experience there…

At first Neo was angered that he'd bring up Roman again, but her expression softened upon hearing Jaune recount his experience. Neo remembered that feeling too; she remembered expecting Roman to return to their apartment, to tell her how he faked his death and got a bunch of Lien cards and tickets for both of them out of Vale... how she hoped -something Roman always told her never to do- that he'd come back to her just because of how hard she wished for it.

Damn this boy. Neo _really_ wanted to ignore him, but she couldn't now. He blundered his way to success and showed her that yes, they really did have a common bond of experience.

He looked so sad. Was he despairing because he couldn't defeat Cinder himself and take his vengeance? Or was he -as Neo so often was- caught up in memory and reluctantly acknowledging that was all he had left of his departed friend? Or perhaps more than one friend in his case?

Neo felt it welling in her chest, a weight pushing down on her organs. She knew where that feeling led. She tried to eat more of the ice cream, to taste the sweet flavors, to bury the pain under a better feeling but... it was too late. She recalled it now. She was trapped by it now.

Neo looked down at the spoon in her hand and the bowl still brimming with sweet treats. It wasn't going to be much use cheering her up now, but…

Neo relaxed her grip on the spoon and slid it over to Jaune. He blinked his blue eyes and looked down at the gift Neo was very half-heartedly presenting him, before meeting Neo's eye. He couldn't quite manage to hide his confusion, but he clearly didn't want to appear ungrateful. "Thank you," he said aloud, before looking down at the spoon, and without further concern took a bite. "Can't remember the last time I had ice cream for breakfast…"

Neo used to do it all the time. Roman only ever intervened when he was worried about her ruining her teeth. It'd been so long since he'd been there to stop her, she hadn't even given it thought.

Instead, watching this boy Jaune share her ice cream… doing something so mundane as sharing a meal with someone again… that pain welling in her chest seemed a little more distant now. And Neo hoped the pain Jaune Arc felt was further away now too.

When was the last time she had well wishes for anyone else?

And when was the last time the sight of someone else's happiness made _her_ feel happy?

* * *

 _Bandit Camp, North of Mistral_

The bandits were growing increasingly restless. No one had granted them relief from manning their posts for nearly two days, and guard duty was dull even when there _was_ a concrete order in place. Many were grumbling about where their chief had gone, and many more were grumbling there was no point in watching over wooden battlements facing empty woods. _If_ they were to be attacked, it'd happen in the dead of night at some structural weak point, not at their front gate.

But when they were _visited_ …

Shay spotted them first. He'd had a pretty bad week after getting smacked around _twice_ by a pretty blonde who claimed to be the boss's daughter and then vanished with said boss before he'd had a chance to ask for any recompense, and was _not_ in the mood to deal with anyone. Especially not some silver-haired jerk who greeted him with "Hey, ugly!"

His green-haired friend was a bit kinder, but still very direct when she asked: "Is Raven Branwen home?"

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ilia awoke to throbbing pain… and the memory of defeat still fresh in her mind. She quickly took in her surroundings, one of the temporary tents set up by her comrades in the ruins of Mistral, her weapon lying on the uncovered dirt floor…

Wait, her weapon? The Spring Knight had disarmed her… had he left it behind? He'd only managed to best her by taking her whip away.

Though still recovering from the fight, Ilia staggered up to collect her weapon, if only to keep it closer for the next time she clashed with…

…with a dagger she felt pressed to her back. "There's something I need from you."

Ilia frantically glanced around for the spot in her tent he'd snuck in. "What?"

Ilia felt the dagger's metal blade remove itself from her back. She instantly whirled around to face the Spring Knight, only to find him placing his dagger away and leaving himself unarmed. "I need you to complete your mission."

Ilia was stunned as the Spring Knight offered her his wrists, slapping them together to imitate being bound. "So if you are rested enough to travel… take me to your leader."

* * *

 _Mistral_

Nora watched the training in sort of a daze. Now that Ruby had reunited with her sister, she seemed to be much happier. Ruby had done a pretty good job hiding all her concerns when they traveled together across Anima, but she hadn't managed to hide _everything_. Ruby had definitely suffered a bit being apart from her sister and her teammates, and Nora did all she could to make Ruby feel welcome, being every bit as protective of her as she was of Ren and Jaune. Nora had constantly checked to see how well Ruby kept up with their pace, how she ingratiated herself with Jaune and Ren, and whether she was eating properly. Nora hoped it help Ruby keep things together to know she had someone who cared for her.

Nora kept focusing on that thought because she knew she still had Jaune and Ruby (and now Yang) there with her and she shouldn't be so concerned. After they'd lost Pyrrha, Nora had forced herself to be the strong one and kept her team together… in part because she really didn't have anywhere else to go, and in part because so long as Ren was with her Nora could always find a reason to be strong.

She was trying to find strength now, and without Ren in her field of vision she wasn't able to locate any. She kept reminding herself she had friends besides Ren who still needed her help, but with Ruby reunited with her sister and Jaune now making an effort to help that girl Neo not go around murdering anyone Nora suddenly found herself very alone.

Her friends would need her eventually, and she'd need to be strong again. But how could she be? How could she be strong when the _source_ of her strength had just vanished right before her eyes?

Ren was her only family; the person she loved most in this world. What could she possibly do without him?

Jaune, Ruby, Yang… Nora tried to think of them. In their chosen career path, it was very likely they'd lose a friend at some point in the course of defending the world from the Grimm and the bad people like Salem and Cinder and Tyrian. It had just never really been a possibility Nora expected to face… and if she was to lose _anyone_ she hadn't ever considered it would be Ren.

She told herself he wasn't dead and she'd be reunited with him once they knew how to reach the other side he'd been sent to. But if it was as terrible a place as Raven described, then there was a very real chance he could come to harm before Nora could reach him. And if she was somehow able to go across, but find him too late…

What would her life be without Ren?

Nora peered inside the house. Whatever Raven and Qrow were talking about… whatever Ozpin might've been able to contribute, she wanted to find a way to get Ren back as soon as she could. The mere thought of being without him had been enough to keep her up at nights… and the thought of _continuing_ to be without him terrified her so much more. Only a few hours away from him had left her feeling so lost, even when surrounded by her other friends.

She didn't care what she had to do or where she had to go. She wasn't going to lose him.

* * *

 _Bandit Camp, North of Mistral_

Weiss heard a commotion. Something was drawing the bandits' attention. She heard Vernal's voice: "Why are these people here? Who let them in?"

"Don't be upset with them," Weiss knew the voice: she'd heard it make a grand pronouncement over the CCT during the Vytal Festival. "These men were simply… accommodating of my request for a meeting. Now then… where is Raven Branwen?"

This could be the opportunity Weiss had been waiting for. She reached over to check the metal bars… they were more than flimsy enough for her to break them and slide through the gap. Now she just needed a direction to run.

"The chieftess isn't here," Vernal answered. "What do you want?"

"Well, I imagine she'll show herself if I ask…" Weiss knew to fear that tone. She was curious as to what that woman was doing in the camp, but she was in no hurry to ask. She didn't want to risk being recognized.

Wait… was it _her_ Cinder had come to collect?

"We are on a _very_ tight schedule and don't have time for an extended negotiation," came a voice Weiss didn't recognize: the deep voice of an older man. "So we'll make our intent plain: _where_ is your leader? And _where_ is she hiding her valuable little secret?"

Weiss figured she wouldn't be on the bandits' mind while Cinder was right in front of them, but _someone_ might have the foresight to come check on the prisoner when strangers had wandered in. Weiss readied her Semblance, drawing a summoning glyph in the palm of her hand.

"I'm… sure I can relay your requests to the chieftess," Vernal suggested, clearly stalling for time. "Whatever it is you need…"

"The Spring Maiden," Cinder harshly interjected. "Which one of you is the Spring Maiden?"

Weiss was _very_ curious as to what was going on now, but she knew now wasn't the time. She summoned a smaller incarnation of the Arma Gigas to slice through two bars in her cell, and once the way was clear…

The metal bars fallen on the ground started to reverberate. The bars in her cell started shaking violently. _Someone_ had taken notice of her…

Weiss dove outside the cell before the metal contorted. The bars from the cell shot up into the air, shattered its wooden canopy. Weiss watched as a great many other hunks of metal –swords, cleavers, shovels- floated up into the air, drawn by some sort of massive silver sphere floating above the camp.

"A localized magnetic field?" the man accompanying Cinder inquired. Weiss could faintly see him now: tall with black hair and a few gray patches, a long mustache, a mustard yellow shirt and a brown vest… and Cinder was still in red, though her hair was much shorter, and one of her arms was wrapped up in a sleeve. Weiss could swear she had a large black patch over her left eye…

Weiss switched her attention to the floating sphere over the camp. What bandits she could see from the ground and amidst the tattered huts that blocked her view before were doing much the same, looking up at the descending object while very slowly walking backwards.

The sphere landed in the dirt at the camp's center. All eyes rested upon it, waiting to see what had come to greet them.

The weapons and shards of metal floating in the air all drew to the sphere, clanging against it and crashing to the ground. Weiss saw Mercury Black staggering on the dirt to avoid being drawn to the sphere, and concluded Cinder had brought her old cronies along with her… while quietly enjoying the sight of the jerk trying to avoid his legs flying out from under him.

Then the sphere split open from its center, folding in on itself and compacting downwards into the ground… and _she_ emerged.

Tall… with long red hair tied in a single, flowing tail. Piercing green eyes. Ornate armor with a long red sash at her hip.

"Pyrrha…" Weiss whispered.

"Doctor Watts," the woman bearing the visage of Weiss's late friend greeted, immediately on her guard. "So it seems Salem has found her way here too."

Cinder was stunned. Weiss saw her single visible eye widen and her mouth fall slightly agape before she quickly composed herself, stepping forward to meet the woman who fell out of the sky… the woman who –by all appearances- Cinder already killed once.

"Well, well, 'the invincible girl'," Cinder mused, stepping forth and extending her hand. Pyrrha eyed her warily, as Cinder's expression turned dark and she clenched her outstretched hand into a fist, fire pouring through the cracks of her fingers. "Back for the rematch?"


	6. The Ghost of Beacon

**Chapter Six: The Ghost of Beacon**

* * *

 _Mistral_

Ruby was thrilled to be training with Yang again. Her attempts to train with Oscar always seemed to be too one-sided… mostly because she was much further along than the teenage boy and the old wizard living inside the teenage boy was much further along than _her_. Yang had always taken the time to work with her and toughen her up, so she was only _slightly_ better at fighting than Ruby was. Fortunately, Ruby had been getting better at unarmed combat… until she tried fighting Yang at close range and was reminded just how vast even a small gap could be.

Yang laughed at the sight of her little sister landing in a heap before reaching down with her cool mechanical arm to hoist Ruby back to her feet. "Okay, we'll take a break," Yang suggested. "Wouldn't want you to get too worn out before lunch."

"That's right, you haven't had one of Ren's home-cooked meals in a while," Ruby noted. "Ugh, you've probably had to make do with dad's cooking the whole time…"

"You have no idea," Yang agreed. "I think that's why I finally decided I had to get out of there."

The sisters shared a brief laugh at the thought. They stepped off the patch of dirt, their good humor abruptly halted by the sight of Nora sitting against the wall of their uncle's house, looking far too crestfallen to be the Nora they knew.

Their uplifted mood crashed down in a hurry. Ruby coughed awkwardly as she and her sister shuffled ahead. Ruby attempted to step over and hug her, but Yang took hold of her sister's shoulder, shaking her head while she _hoped_ Nora's eyes remained pointed at the ground. Ruby sighed and followed along back indoors.

"We should take a moment to talk about Raven," Yang suggested once they were safely out of their friends' earshot. Yang first moved towards the kitchen but then stopped upon noticing Neo and Jaune at the dining table and then changed course back towards the front room. Once they were certain they wouldn't be overheard by a friend suffering a trauma, a potentially dangerous psychopath on a short leash, or adults (or whatever) they didn't entirely trust…

"I don't know what's going on with her, Yang, but I think she really does believe everything she's told us," Ruby explained, sitting down on the couch beside her sister. "It's… really, not at all what I was expecting from what you told me about her."

Yang nodded. "Until yesterday, I thought she was playing us. I thought she was up to something. When she opened the portal to you I realized it _had_ to be true. Dad told me about her Semblance. There was no reason I could think of for her to be bonded to you… maybe S- your mom gave it to you somehow, but _if_ that was why she linked to you then I don't think she'd have put her sword away just because you asked her to. And the way she talks about you…"

"Yeah," Ruby nodded, shifting uncomfortably in the folds of her seat. "And what she said about Mom…"

Yang glanced around the room. She hadn't seen Oscar since he was struck by some sort of strange ailment the previous night, but _had_ been meaning to talk to him about what role Ozpin might've had in the mission Summer never returned home from, and why Raven –this one in particular, both in general- had such animosity for Ozpin in general.

And such _affection_ for Ruby. Yang heard the story, and -like Ruby- believed Raven was serious. But it was still very jarring to witness her mother being so warm and responsive. When Yang watched Raven stay her sword after Ruby's intervention, she'd recognized the look in the older woman's eye. She'd understood what it was to do something for Ruby's sake… to alter oneself on her behalf.

It made her uncomfortable. It clearly made Ruby uncomfortable. But Yang could certainly sympathize with the feeling.

Yang wasn't sure how to proceed. Should she defer to Ruby as her team leader and trust her to handle this? Or should she listen to her big sister senses and guide Ruby a while longer? Yang could certainly handle getting in her mom's way and keeping that drama away from Ruby when there were far more important matters to deal with.

And whatever look Raven had in her eye, she was _not_ Ruby's protector. That was –that had always been- Yang's job. And she'd been neglecting her duty far too often of late.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ren found the throne room surprisingly dreary. Torches lined the walls and the columns, ornate metal patterns flanked the throne, itself before a great red banner with the familiar wolf's head and scratches of the White Fang, matching the color of the carpet before raised steps. Yet the room was very dark, the flames stretched too far apart and leaving many patches without illumination. The red color was dark like blood rather than vibrant, and though the hall was massive it seemed empty… the High Leader sat alone, save for four guards standing two by two beside her throne.

Ilia led him in with little fanfare. She hadn't even bothered to restrain him or disarm him… presumably whatever defeat _she'd_ suffered Ilia was confident Ren couldn't best the High Leader or her four men. He was grateful to have the freedom of movement, though he didn't see any place to wander: only the great doors he'd stepped in through and the single throne waiting at the end of the great hall.

As he drew nearer, Ren took in more of her appearance. She wasn't wearing her bow, and he was surprised to find her ears quite flattering atop her head. She still wore her hair long: longer and wilder than he'd recalled it at Beacon. On her face she wore the gray Grimm mask of many of her comrades, though Ren noted it seemed damaged: the plaster had cracked and a line of dried blood ran over the left eye. He'd have thought the High Leader would look more pristine.

"I have brought him, High Leader," Ilia stated, dropping to kneel on the first raised step before her throne, crossing one arm over her chest and bowing low.

"Thank you, ilia," was her cordial answer. Ilia stood up and jerked her head for Ren to approach, her gray eyes never once leaving Blake. Ren saw something very familiar in them: a longing belied by patience, a sadness tempered by a distant hope. He knew the look; he'd seen it a hundred times from a departed friend. No wonder Ilia had been so loyal.

Ren stepped forward. He considered some formality, some acknowledgment of her position… but it had been several months since he last saw her. He was much too eager to greet her, and thus merely said: "Hello, Blake."

She seemed surprised by his acknowledgement. "You know me, Spring Knight?"

Ren quickly thought back on what Raven had said about the different life she'd experienced. Presumably Blake had a different history here… unless she'd claimed this same throne in the Mistral he knew. It greatly concerned him to think the White Fang's headquarters was –at least theoretically- so close to the house all his friends were staying in.

Blake looked small in the seat. It wasn't a particularly _large_ throne, with its most distinct feature being two protrusions shaped like spear heads on either side. The way she clenched the armrests with her fingers, the way she adjusted in her seat to try and sit a little straighter and seem a little taller… Ren didn't know if leadership suited Blake or not, but at the moment at least she seemed uncomfortable with it… or with him.

"I thought I did," Ren suggested, bridging the gap with something ambiguous. "Why did you send your… friends to bring me here?"

"The Queen gave me an order," Blake replied. "She wants you returned to her keep." She looked him dead on –or at least it appeared so, it was hard to tell behind her weathered mask- and reaffirmed: "One does not upset the queen."

Raven was convinced Ren was Salem's servant in her world. It seemed as though Blake believed the same… why?

"What did Salem promise you?" Ren asked, trying to get a sense for Blake's motive in aiding someone so apparently monstrous as Qrow and Raven described.

"She already fulfilled her promises," Blake answered. "Now all there is to show her our fealty when she calls on us."

"Fealty?" Ren repeated. "Since when do Faunus work for the master of the Grimm?"

Blake seemed surprised. "Is this… a game of some sort, Spring Knight? I'd heard you were very honest and direct; not that you wasted time asking questions."

Ren thought on how to approach this. He _could_ mention that the Mistral he was in now was _not_ the one he'd been in just hours beforehand…

"I want to know about you," Ren finally said, trying to be as honest as he could without revealing his hand. "I'd like to know why Blake Belladonna is so interested in me."

"I am _not_ interested in you, human," Blake harshly interjected, suddenly becoming _much_ more emotional than Ren expected of her. He'd heard of her going through such moments at Beacon, but he'd only seen glimpses… even behind her weathered mask Ren could clearly _feel_ her fury. "I am doing as Salem asks because the White Fang honors its agreements. She gave us Mistral to rule, and no Faunus ever needs kneel to a human again… only one ruler, one High Leader… and one queen."

"You agreed to serve Salem for t _his_?" Ren wondered. "So you could rule over a pile of rubble?"

"Why do you care, Spring Knight?" Blake demanded. "Didn't you agree to serve her just because she granted _you_ power?"

Ren didn't know the finer details. But he knew Raven had focused on _one_ aspect in particular…

Ren knew only the broad strokes of Blake's past. Most of what she'd revealed she'd shared with her teammates, and the revelations traveled no further than that. But Ren _had_ heard she was once a member of the White Fang fighting for equality, and during the Fall of Beacon Blake had battled a man who'd once been her partner… a man who'd once been far more than that to her.

A man who once wore a mask just like that one.

"You lost someone, didn't you?" Ren asked. "Isn't _that_ why you turned to Salem?"

He saw her cat ears stand on end. Ren didn't know _all_ the tells of Faunus, but he suspected that he'd struck on something at least _partially_ true. Blake was quick to compose herself, however, adopting a very dismissive tone. "We have _all_ lost someone, Spring Knight."

Ren stepped closer. The four men standing beside Blake's thrones leveled heavy spears at him. Ilia readied her whip at his back.

Ren betrayed no fear, locking eyes with her Grimm mask. Blake watched Ren's hands and his father's dagger at his belt but took no action, eventually raising a hand and calling her guards off.

"Your partner, wasn't it?" Ren asked. "Or… whatever you want to call him?"

Blake's mouth tightened into a sneer. "His name was Adam Taurus. He should be sitting here now instead of me… but your enemy, your _anomaly_ took him from us. He grew too powerful and that huntress killed him… I really had hoped you'd have killed her by now so I could display her head here… if you'd be willing to part with it."

 _Raven_ killed Adam Taurus? Then Blake never had the opportunity to leave him… to abandon the White Fang?

"I remember you wanted to be a huntress once… I'd heard you wanted to go to Beacon," Ren suggested. "You didn't always have such a low opinion of them."

Blake was working hard to conceal her surprise. The mask helped, but it had already betrayed more of her emotions to Ren than she could've realized.

"Once, when I was weak," Blake confirmed. "When I might've faltered… but fate interceded. The girl from Atlas went instead, and your dear 'king' Ozpin chose her instead. When your anomaly took him from me, Adam was all I had in this world."

Out of the corner of his eye Ren saw Ilia turn her head, ever so slightly. He'd seen _that_ gesture many times at Beacon too.

"But enough about the past, Spring Knight," Blake insisted. "I will see you are sent to the queen. We have very comfortable arrangements ready. Ilia."

At once the shorter girl broke from her funk and stood at attention. "Yes, High L-"

Ren raised his hand. "No. If you will forgive my impertinence… _you_ will take me, Blake Belladonna. There is so much more I'd like to ask you."

Ren had never had such ardor before. Perhaps his fight against the monstrous Nuckelavee in Kuroyuri or his exposure to Qrow had granted him some renewed sense of blunt authority. Or perhaps arriving in a different world than the one he knew gave him little reason to be cautious, given he appeared to be surrounded by enemies regardless.

Maybe he was eager to spend more time with the only familiar face he'd found so far.

"I thought it was only the Fall Knight who insisted on such… company," Blake dryly noted. "But… if that is what the Queen wills, so be it." She stood up from her throne. "Come, then. I will take you to Salem myself."

"High Leader-" Ilia began, only to stop when Blake shook her head.

"If nothing else, Salem will see our good faith when I bring her son to her," Blake told her subordinate. "Help our brothers in clearing the farmland, Ilia. We'll need a good harvest for when the refugees arrive."

"Yes, High Leader," Ilia confirmed, bowing again. Blake stepped past, gesturing Ren to follow.

"Refugees?" Ren repeated. "Where?"

"Everywhere Faunus have fought and died in your pointless war," Blake blithely replied. "Salem sends our brothers into the slaughter as readily as she sends her Grimm… were it not for her sending her two 'sons' to fight as well…" She let the sentiment hang in the air.

Ren glanced back at Ilia, still watching her leader descend the steps and walk down the hall. "Yet you tell one of your best fighters to work farmland instead?"

"We can't save everyone, Spring Knight," Blake replied. "But we _can_ save the ones who matter most."

Ren kept his gaze on Ilia, watching her eyes follow Blake. It had been a long time since he'd seen that despair… that pain that could only be caused by affection that always had to be kept at a distance.

It seemed even in other worlds, some feelings would insist on staying silent, no matter how much they hurt.

* * *

 _Bandit Camp, North of Mistral_

Cinder had been growing impatient waiting for the motley collection of thieves and assassins to produce the person they'd _actually_ come to meet. When a silver sphere dropped from the sky and landed in the middle of the camp with them, Cinder had actually found herself feeling quite pleased, because it seemed someone worth her time had finally deigned to join them.

And when the sphere opened, Cinder had been curious who'd step out to meet them: Raven Branwen? The girl Branwen had kept as the Spring Maiden? Someone from Atlas eager to get their little war started?

Instead, it wasn't opportunity that emerged from within the metal ball. Instead emerged… _a ghost_.

 _ **Do you believe… in destiny?**_

It wasn't often anyone's words gave Cinder pause. But in stopping to gloat over her fallen foe, Cinder found herself exposed to unexpected, surprising _defiance_. More even than that, this girl –this opponent well beneath her- instilled in Cinder, if only for a moment, a twinge of doubt and hesitation.

Cinder burned her out from the inside and ripped her tiara from the ashes left behind. She'd wanted a trophy, if only for the briefest second.

Now that same tiara sat on this girl's red head. The same brilliant green eyes looked across to her now.

"Doctor Watts," Pyrrha Nikos observed, much to the confusion of Cinder's associate. "So it seems Salem has found her way here too."

Had Ozpin told her about Salem? Had that been one of the lessons imparted when the arrogant fool started grooming his would-be Fall Maiden?

She'd struck fear in Cinder's heart for a moment… that was twice now this girl had knocked Cinder off her game. No more.

"Well, well, 'the invincible girl,'" Cinder mused, trying to sound confident again, to regain her poise and swagger and intimidate this girl she'd already **killed** once. She assumed Pyrrha Nikos was a smart girl who'd understand fearing something powerful enough to kill her.

But that she'd unbalanced Cinder at all, that she'd disrespected her by _not_ showing any fear… Cinder's rage billowed up to the surface, forcing the Maiden to close her hand before flames erupted from the surface of her palm. "Back for the rematch?"

"I have no quarrel with you," Pyrrha replied. "I'm here only for whomever these bandits took prisoner."

Prisoner?

Was _that_ why the bandits hadn't revealed where Raven or the Spring Maiden were? Had they somehow managed to take a Maiden prisoner?

That _should_ have been Cinder's primary focus. But the speculation and plotting evaporated almost as quickly as the thought passed through her mind. Once again Pyrrha Nikos had ignored her threat… disrespected Cinder's presence by not trembling in fear.

"Don't you remember me, Pyrrha Nikos?" Cinder asked. "Don't you remember the _fun_ we used to have?"

Emerald didn't share her good humor, still looking on in shock. Mercury at least had a cocky smirk upon recalling the tricks they'd pulled at Nikos' expense.

"I don't know you," Pyrrha flatly replied, before turning her attention to Watts. "Go back to Atlas, Doctor. Your countrymen will take you back if you tell them what you know… what you've learned of her plans."

"And why would I bother, young lady?" Watts asked. "What's to be gained betraying my master when she has more to offer me than one kingdom ever could?"

"Because once you're no longer of use to her, she'll betray _you_ ," Pyrrha replied. "She is a deceiver and she will cast you out once you're no longer useful. All of you, whatever Salem's promised: she _won't_ deliver."

"I do so hate dealing with children," Watts mused. "They are all so insufferably convinced they understand how the world works… and they never have a clue."

Cinder was infuriated at Pyrrha continuing to ignore her. The flames were rising in her hand again… her wounds from Beacon were aching worse than ever…

"Very well," Pyrrha sighed. "If you insist on fighting for her, I'll put a stop to-"

Cinder finally reacted, opening her hand and unleashing the fury of her flames directly at the red-haired girl. It felt good to finally use the power that had scratched at her skin, eager to breach the surface and pour out into the world again.

Nikos didn't seem to be carrying her shield. Even if she had, Cinder's fires burned so hot the defense would melt on the girl's arm. In a few moments, the ghost of Beacon would be nothing more than a brief and unpleasant memory.

But instead Cinder watched her flames pour in two directions, wrapping around Pyrrha Nikos without ever touching her. Pyrrha had raised her hand just as Cinder raised hers', and from the red-haired girl's fingertips had spouted some kind of invisible barrier, pushing Cinder's flames away. Nikos was encircled by fire, but none of it could reach whatever bubble she'd encased herself within.

Cinder slowly lowered her hand, looking on in shock as the fire dissipated, leaving the girl unharmed. Pyrrha Nikos reached up her free left hand to her back and drew a sword painted with a green stripe.

"I had no intention of harming you," Pyrrha reluctantly told her, "But if you so insist…"

Cinder's rage grew even greater. Pyrrha's continued defiance –her continued _existence_ \- only stoked the flames hotter. She extended her index finger, pointing at the redhead. "Kill her!" Cinder shrieked at her subordinates.

Mercury reacted first, dashing in and angling a kick. Pyrrha raised _her_ index finger on her right hand, and with little more than a wag she took hold of the metal in Mercury's right leg, flinging him out of her way and sending him crashing into a trio of bandit onlookers.

Emerald locked Pyrrha's eyes and concentrated, projecting an illusion for her single mind… of many more enemies –many Mercuries, many Emeralds, many Cinders- rushing at her and attacking from multiple angles. Emerald hoped that she could find an opening when Pyrrha overreacted and attacked multiple locations where Emerald _wasn't_.

Instead Pyrrha closed her eyes and concentrated. Emerald felt her kama on her hip begin to rattle… as Pyrrha clenched her right hand entirely and dragged Emerald through the air by the weapons attached to her belt, flinging her into one of the bandit huts and out of Pyrrha's path, dispelling her illusions shortly after the bumpy landing.

Cinder drew Dust shards embedded in her dress to her hand, using the fire in her palm to reforge them into a great red blade. She ran at Pyrrha and swung with the burning sword, clashing against the thin –but surprisingly durable- blade in 'the invincible girl's hand.

It took some time for Cinder to recognize it. The memories were still hazy and incomplete at times, but she'd yet to forget the centerpiece of her plan to demoralize the people watching the Vytal Festival… the poor little robot from Atlas pretending she was a real girl.

"Penny Polendina's sword?" Cinder asked. "You're more ruthless than I gave you credit for, Nikos! Even I'm not so heartless as to steal weapons from the dead!"

"Then you haven't fought long enough to know not to waste an asset," was Pyrrha's frank reply, as she raised her free hand. A second sword strapped to her back responded to Pyrrha's motion, and raced towards Cinder, forcing the Fall Maiden to disengage and draw back. Cinder found herself deflecting blows from two swords… one in Pyrrha's hand and the other slicing wildly through the air with no hand to direct it.

When both of Pyrrha's –or Polendina's- swords found Cinder's forged blade, Pyrrha attacked with a sort of pincer movement, slicing Cinder's weapon into three pieces. Cinder again drew back before Pyrrha could follow up with additional slashes.

Cinder growled at her foe before opening her hand again, pouring out fire in a steady, continuous stream. Pyrrha aligned the two swords before herself, one pointed skyward and the other to the ground. Pyrrha rotated her left hand, spinning the two swords around in a rapid cycle, while her right called forth the discarded guns, knives, and cleavers she'd drawn from the bandits upon her arrival.

Cinder's flames split once more before they could reach Pyrrha, and the red haired girl cast the bandits' weapons into the streams of fire on either side of her. Wood caught aflame and metal began to rend and melt... and then Pyrrha flung them through the flames right at Cinder, bombarding the Fall Maiden with burning shards.

Cinder howled in pain and rage as she was forced to abandon her attack and retreat once again. She looked down at her right arm, burns and holes in her sleeve from Pyrrha's attack… _she_ the one burned by her own flames.

"Stand down," Pyrrha instructed. "If you keep this up I could _hurt_ you."

She… had the audacity to show Cinder hesitation? Mercy?

Cinder reached over to unclasp her left arm from her covered sleeve. She'd rip this girl's Aura out for a second time and hack her to pieces rather than try and burn her again…

Mercury interceded on her behalf, but after clashing his foot against her sword Pyrrha merely pushed him away again, sending him tumbling along the dirt just by moving his legs. What bandits had remained to watch the battle started scrambling for cover, some fleeing outside the wooden fort and abandoning their positions entirely.

Before Cinder could reveal her arm, Watts clamped a hand down on her shoulder. "Don't be foolish: you're outmatched. Tell your 'disciples' to divert our foe's attention so we can fall back and regroup."

Cinder violently shrugged herself free of Watts' grip. "I don't take orders from-"

"We're here for the Spring Maiden," Watts reminded her. "If she were present she'd have revealed herself by now either to attack us or this girl. Do _not_ waste your energy on this one… we have _very_ little time left to accomplish our objective."

Cinder's rational mind knew Watts was correct, but her rage and her wounded pride would not allow her to hear it. But before Cinder could unleash her secret weapon Pyrrha Nikos drew nearer, and Cinder poured another blast of flame at her. Nikos encircled herself in another magnetic field, the fire wrapping around her again, the flames spreading out and striking the bandits' huts and fortifications.

"Everybody out!" Vernal shouted. "Abandon the camp! Into the forest! Go, go, go!"

Cinder continued to pour flames at Pyrrha, even as they sailed harmlessly past. Cinder screamed out in rage and frustration as she kept up her offense, no matter how little effect it seemed to have.

But it drew Nikos' attention, keeping her fixated on the attack in front of her rather than the myriad of other factors around her. Moving through the throng of fleeing bandits and braving the flames with careful weaving, Emerald emerged at Nikos' back, drawing her kama and waiting for the field to dissipate…

…when a series of white glyphs appeared to move along the ground beneath Emerald's feet, and shards of Ice Dust encasing her legs and locking the green-haired girl in place. Emerald desperately hacked her way free, eager to press her attack and strike the woman battling her mistress, only for _another_ combatant to enter the fray, using her glyphs to springboard herself over Cinder's fire and land between Pyrrha and Emerald, clashing her thin rapier with Emerald's kama.

"Weiss Schnee…" Emerald whispered, somewhere between a surprise and a curse.

"Pyrrha's been _very_ patient with you," Weiss pointed out. "Stand down. _Now._ "

Emerald looked over at Cinder, still raging with her flames. If she kept up the attack, Cinder was likely to burn everything present _except_ her target. And unlike the Schnee, Mercury and herself hadn't had the foresight to bring Ice Dust to keep themselves safe from it.

Emerald sneered as she left an illusion of herself, still locking blades with the former heiress. Emerald dashed back through the fire and went to collect Mercury, hoping her illusion would hold a few seconds as she told him: "We have to go. Come on."

Mercury took one look at Cinder's raging fires and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, okay."

The assassin clamored up to his feet and moved to his mistress's side. He took one look at Watts, a man he thoroughly despised, and jerked his head at Cinder. Watts took his meaning quickly and reached alongside the silver-haired brute and Emerald, pulling Cinder away as she continued spitting fire at Pyrrha.

"Let me go!" Cinder demanded. "Let me kill her! Let me kill her!"

Cinder locked her remaining eye with Pyrrha's, the green-eyed girl lowering her two swords and watching Cinder's own allies drag her away from the now burning camp. Cinder continued to fling fire from her hand in small bursts, thrashing in their grip as they carted her away.

"I'll kill you, Nikos!" Cinder vowed. "I killed you once and I'll kill you again!"

So _that_ was what became of her on this side… well, if nothing else, at least no other Pyrrha had been sent to her world to suffer. At least Salem's minions had suffered a defeat at her hand now that she'd returned. And the amber-eyed woman's rage was almost cathartic seeing she'd been unable to harm Pyrrha with it.

But that power pouring out from her hand… either that woman had a truly powerful Semblance –just as Pyrrha had- or she had control over an element. At best, she'd been blessed with a rare gift. At worst, Salem had a Maiden in her thrall, just as Salem had knights serving her on the other side.

She should pursue… but Pyrrha had faintly heard mention of a name she recognized at her back. A name that would help her find what she'd come for.

"Pyrrha…"

Pyrrha turned to address the Schnee heiress. The blue-eyed girl looked up in reverent awe, stunned by the taller girl's presence. "I… I don't believe it," Weiss managed to say. "I'd heard you were dead…"

Was she the one the bandits had captured? Well, no matter now, the bandits had fled. Pyrrha focused on the important factor: "Weiss Schnee," she greeted formally. "I'm glad I found you; I'm looking for your former teammate. Tell me…"

"…where is Ruby Rose?"

* * *

 _Mistral_

Qrow, Raven, and Oscar finally emerged, joining the sisters in the front room. "We think we've sorted out the particulars now," Qrow told his nieces. "And well… tell 'em, Rae."

Raven sighed. "If I am correct and your friend Ren has been replaced by the Spring Knight, then he's probably come to capture me. Which means we know what he wants and we have a means of drawing him out… even luring him into a trap. Though, of course there _is_ a problem with that…"

Raven jerked her head over to Jaune and Neo in the kitchen. "Your blonde friend was going to vanish too, which our friend Ozpin here thinks means the Fall Knight made it over here too. I _might_ be able to defeat the Spring Knight one on one, but I _know_ I can't beat them both."

"So you need our help," Yang finished for her.

"We need to help each other," Oscar intervened, speaking with a deeper and more formal tone as Ozpin asserted control over the boy's words. "If we can somehow apprehend these two we can learn a great deal more about this other world Raven hails from… or whatever Salem and this other incarnation of myself are planning for us."

"Really not as different as you seem to think, Oz," Raven scoffed. "Maybe a bit more honest in he doesn't pretend to be nobler than he really is…"

"That's enough," Qrow interjected. "Whatever the case, we do eventually need to get the other Raven back so we can still find the Spring Maiden. We need to figure out how those two got here and see if we can bring her back."

"Or –if absolutely necessary- seal the way so no more incursions can occur," Ozpin added. "If there are indeed two incarnations of Mr. Arc here, that alone was enough to unbalance me… further arrivals may well distort the balance of this planet further."

"The balance of this planet?" Ruby repeated. "How?"

"Simply put, Miss Rose, I was once _much_ more powerful," Ozpin explained. "The gifts the gods imparted on me were meant to be finite. They were meant to be used carefully, not recklessly spewed about. Whatever Salem –or I- did in this other Remnant to alter the magic I once imparted on these Maidens could do considerable damage not only to us, but to the very fabric holding us together. Magic is not something that can be underestimated, _especially_ when it's not something I fully comprehend."

"Uh, yeah, okay, fair enough," a confused Ruby acquiesced. "But what about Raven? What happens to her if we send her back?"

"Hopefully I can find my-" Raven noticeably looked away from the silver-eyed girl before continuing, "-I find the girl I'm looking for and save her. Before Salem puts any of her plans into motion."

Ruby looked up at Raven, the taller woman still unable to meet her eye. Yang recognized the look coming to Ruby's features now: the wish to offer support and affection when it was needed. Yang had seen the look from her sister many times… normally she'd cherish it.

But now she had it for Raven?

Ruby stepped towards Raven, slowly extending her arms… when she stopped and spotted Nora stepping in from outside, shaking off gathered dust from having sat on the ground so long. Ruby took one more look at Raven for a fleeting moment before moving over to _another_ person in dire need of a hug… and perhaps a bit less practiced at going without them.

Ruby squeezed Nora tightly from the moment she stepped in the door. Nora barely reacted at first, but eventually returned the gesture with her trademark brute strength.

Yang watched with a serene smile before looking up at Raven again, watching the woman who so strikingly appeared to be her mother turn her eyes to the floor, eyelids drooping down low and lips quivering ever so softly.

Yang stood up and stepped towards Raven. She wasn't sure exactly what she'd do when she got there. She wasn't sure there'd be a right time for any of this.

But there was something she'd wanted to experience, no matter how impossible it seemed… and something that might help their erstwhile ally right in this moment. And she'd already learned to widen her standards on what was possible and what wasn't.

Yang lifted her arms and embraced a surprised Raven, hugging her tightly. It felt very strange hugging a girl as tall as she was… it had been a very long time since she'd had an opportunity to hug anyone who she would consider her mother. It hadn't been the role she got to play.

Raven was even slower than Nora was… still confused by this unfamiliar girl, still uncomfortable trying to interact with her. But she'd been in need of someone to offer her this. She'd been in need of a daughter's sincere affection. It wasn't _quite_ what she'd hoped for… but it helped her just the same.

Raven tentatively moved her arms over Yang's back and closed her eyes.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Blake sat far away from him in the cargo bay of the Bullhead, taking a seat close to the sliding door. He suspected she wanted the widest possible distance after she had to put up with having him so close in her throne room, or because he'd become too familiar with her in front of her subordinates. Or perhaps she just hated _all_ humanity for the losses they'd caused her… it'd certainly explain why someone as good as Blake ultimately proved herself to be had thrown her lot in with Salem… when she hadn't had the _chance_ to become so good.

"When you applied to Beacon," Ren asked, "What happened? Who was it from Atlas that put a stop to it?"

Had Weiss –or more likely, her father- somehow used the Schnee family's considerable influence to put a stop to her application? The bond formed between Blake and Weiss at the end of the first semester had been instrumental in bringing Blake closer with her circle of friends. If she'd never had that chance in this life, she'd never have learned how the people who seemed worst among them could rise above and find better natures.

"Why are you so interested in me, Spring Knight?" Blake wearily asked. "Why does it matter to you what happened to me?"

"Because I was at Beacon," Ren decided was the story he'd go with, mingling in as much truth as he could. "It was probably the best time of my life."

"I've only heard the stories," Blake dismissively replied. "But… I would have been there for my first year when your 'king' Ozpin abandoned the academy. So maybe I'd have joined all those poor dead he left behind, had I been there." She unconsciously reached a hand up to her Grimm mask. "Maybe I'd have been the one gone instead."

"And what –exactly- have you heard happened at Beacon?" Ren asked, trying to keep his tone even and polite, and not betray his curiosity and anticipation.

"I heard you and your 'brother' the Fall Knight slaughtered so many," Blake replied, before looking at him, not quite able to hide her disgust. "That you killed your own partner in single combat."

Ren couldn't hide his surprise at _that_. He'd thought it impossible when Raven claimed he'd tried to harm Ruby, but _Nora_? _Kill_ Nora?

Ren did his best to compose himself. "Don't believe everything you hear."

"Not when it comes to you, at least," Blake agreed. "I couldn't believe it when you left Ilia alive." Now it was Blake once again unable to hide her curiosity. "Why did you spare her?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Ren countered.

"All I've heard –all I've _ever_ heard- about you is that you capture or kill whoever Salem orders you to," Blake replied. "A man who would kill his own partner… I didn't think he'd hesitate for a moment to kill a Faunus who tried to capture him."

"And Salem told me to kill my partner?" Ren pressed. "Is _that_ what you think happened?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Blake wondered. "Why do you care what I think?"

"Because you're my fr-"

Ren stopped himself. Not in this world.

"Because you are _not_ my enemy," Ren replied. "Whatever you've become, whatever you've been before, I _have_ heard differently of you, Blake. That you fought for equality between humans and Faunus, that you believed in the mission of the White Fang… and that you _left_ them when they became extreme enough to hurt the innocent."

Blake's hand reached up to her mask again, running a finger over the bloodstained plaster. She'd tried to conceal her emotions, but hadn't quite sent the message to her hand in time, but she was quick to pull it away.

"I told you, I faltered once," Blake dismissively replied. "I am not who you think I am, Spring Knight."

"And isn't it possible I'm not who _you_ think I am?" Ren countered.

"I dare say we'll know soon enough," Blake mused. "We're here."

Ren looked towards the cockpit. In the pilot's window he saw barren red rocks, pools of inky black, and purple crystals erupting from the soil. He wasn't sure where he'd arrived, or how far they'd traveled… but one look outside the ship and he sensed danger like nothing he'd seen traversing Anima… a fear that traveled up his spine like a freezing cold.

"Welcome to the Queen's home," Blake bid. "I'm sure she's eager to welcome her son back."


	7. Alliance of Convenience

**Chapter Seven: Alliance of Convenience**

* * *

 _Another Time and Place_

She'd heard of this place in stories her mother used to read to her… a hidden grove that only a Maiden could enter, carrying spring with her wherever she went, because a small piece of it remained sealed away from the rest of the world and safely untainted by war, by Grimm, by the greed of men. Her mother spoke in detail about the gifts of each Maiden, and while Pyrrha enjoyed each of them, she couldn't deny how appealing the thought of a secret sanctuary was.

But that was before she knew the reality of it: that there was nothing intrinsically special about the woman in question, that the Maiden's power could be stolen just as easily as it could be given. The secret garden could be accessed by anyone with the magic in their hand, even by someone wholly unworthy of it… even by a traitor and a murderer.

"Why have you brought me here?" Pyrrha asked, looking through the opening to the secret garden, trying her best to remain defiant and not become lost in the (admittedly brief) sensation of childlike wonder.

"To assuage my conscience."

Pyrrha didn't believe that. This had to be some sort of ploy, or trick… or even just some way to taunt her. Had she inadvertently told this story and the information found its way to her captor?

"I've made so many mistakes. Perhaps this is more of the same… some sentiment… some _weakness_."

Pyrrha looked at the stone altar and the golden lamp sitting upon it, half-filled with some shining blue liquid.

"What is that?" Pyrrha finally asked. The stories she'd heard made no mention of any treasure hidden in the secret garden… only that it had been a place free from evil and cruelty. But then, more than one fairy tale had proven false already.

"A lamp. It cannot grant what I know you wish for… it cannot grant even what _I_ wish for, but it _can_ make your dreams easier to achieve if you drink from its waters. So drink deep."

She had no reason to believe this. But she'd lost much reason to hope after Beacon. After Ozpin. After Ren. After _Jaune_.

This could easily be a deception or some sort of final mockery at her expense. But she was captured; dead already but for this last moment remembering fairy tales on her mother's knee.

Pyrrha stepped to the altar and looked down at the lamp. She couldn't tell what resided within it, but watching the blue liquid splash about inside, she _felt_ it pulse within her like a magnetic pull.

She was in her enemy's possession. There was no reason to trust her captor's word. There was no reason to assume this was anything that it appeared to be.

But the destiny staring her down was a miserable and ignominious end. The one in her hands now… maybe it couldn't change the past that had worn her down, but with what she could do already enhanced and expanded… maybe the future could be better than she expected. Maybe she could save a few more from the endless war and strife that would inevitably consume them all.

She stared at the cool blue, thinking on what could be…

* * *

 _Bandit Camp, North of Mistral_

"Ruby? I-uh… wow, I'm not even sure what to say," Weiss mused. "How are you here? How are you alive?"

Pyrrha again tried to focus on this strange new world she lived in. Based on what Velvet had told her, Ruby was in Mistral. In locating Ruby Rose's other teammate, Pyrrha thought she might gain further insight. But that still operated on the assumption that Weiss Schnee was on Ruby Rose's team at all. After all, in this world Velvet hadn't been Ruby's partner…

"I'm sure it'll take a long time to explain," Pyrrha allowed, deliberately avoiding the specifics. "But I _will_ tell you my story, after I've completed what I've set out to do. I need to find Ruby; she's in terrible danger."

"Who isn't these days?" Weiss wondered. "Well, all I know for certain is that she's gone to Mistral. If I had to guess, I'd say she was heading to Haven Academy to find… well, to find Cinder and her friends, but it doesn't seem like they're as much of a problem as I thought…"

Cinder? Pyrrha didn't know the name, but if Weiss's assessment was correct and that was the woman Pyrrha had fought against, then at the very least the Maiden power remained incarnate outside the corrupted transfer Salem and Ozpin created. At least there was still time before their reach became overpowering.

Now Pyrrha had to find the silver-eyed warrior and keep her from Salem's grip. Without the ability to control the Grimm Salem would eventually lose her greatest advantage. With a way to wound the corrupted Aura that bound the ancient magic to a new host, Salem and Ozpin wouldn't be able to seize the relics (at least, so she hoped) and drain away every last bit of the gods' essence… and thus never set their plan in motion.

Pyrrha turned her attention to Weiss. She didn't have reason to assume Weiss was any worse –or any better- a person in this world than she'd been in the one Pyrrha knew, but Pyrrha also intended to minimize her involvement with the people here if it could be helped… in case drastic steps were needed to keep Salem's prize from her hand.

But Weiss had interceded in the battle on Pyrrha's behalf and defended her flank. If nothing else she was going to great lengths to render aid by walking through fire on Pyrrha's behalf.

"Well, we have a destination," Pyrrha noted, stepping back towards the sphere. "You coming?"

Weiss seemed elated, then took note of the sphere and her expression quickly soured. "Is that… safe?"

"Not at all," Pyrrha answered honestly. "But I can guide it carefully enough for the journey to be smooth."

"A smooth journey _would_ be nice," Weiss mused, "But I'll do what it takes to get to Ruby."

Such devotion. Pyrrha hoped that Ruby Rose would be amenable to Pyrrha's mission.

She really didn't want Weiss's hopes to be dashed if the alternative became unavoidable… if the needs of Remnant outweighed the wishes of a friend.

* * *

 _Menagerie_

"Wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon," the Captain greeted, shaking Sun's hand. "Nor was I actually planning on taking on so many passengers…"

"Yeah, had to get the message out as soon as we could," Sun admitted. "Sorry we didn't have time to specify, but, uh, we ended up getting a lot of volunteers."

The Captain looked out at the gathered citizens of Menagerie, loading up with makeshift weapons under the direction of their Chieftain and his guards. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Do you have room for this many?" Blake asked.

"It'll be a tight fit, but if we can get them in three… maybe four to a room I think we can just hold it," the Captain speculated, looking out over the crowd and counting on his fingers. "We still have a few refugees from Vale aboard, but I think most of them will be amenable to this… except maybe the guy Matte and the boys fished out of the water. Not a fan of Faunus, that one…"

"What a shame," Blake muttered. "Hopefully he'll get over it."

"Maybe, maybe not," the Captain mused. "He's not exactly the social type, and looks like a pretty rough customer."

"You dragged him out of the ocean, right?" Sun asked. "How tough can he be?"

"I'm sure we can appeal to his sense of decency and persuade him to help us," Kali suggested, walking over to join her daughter and her monkey-tailed friend. "Which cabin is he in?"

After a short walk the trio found themselves before the door. Sun started rapping his hand on it before the Captain even pointed it out. "Hey, buddy, we wanna talk about all the new roommates you're gonna get!"

Blake sighed at Sun's impatience. Kali smiled patiently and waited to see how things would play out.

"If there's anywhere she's gone, it's not Menagerie," came the reply from within. "I told you I wasn't looking for a Faunus. So unless you're kicking me out and dumping me here you can buzz off."

Blake paused. Her sensitive ears recognized the pitch and tone… the quiet irritation behind every joke. It wasn't possible, but it sounded like…

Sun hadn't realized it yet; he was too caught up in the moment and seemed content to argue the point. "Why don't you open the door and say it to my face, pal?"

"The whole point of opening a door is finding out what's on the other side," the occupant replied. "And I really couldn't care less."

It sounded just like him. Kali took notice of her daughter's ears standing up straight and reached a hand to her shoulder, whispering: "What is it?"

The Captain cleared his throat. "Open the door. Or I _will_ strand you here, sir. I don't have a need for a stowaway when I can house _invited_ guests instead."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, and Blake and Kali listened to the sound of shuffling within the cabin, then the slow unlock of the door.

Blake reached to Gambol Shroud on her back…

She tensed up when the door opened and she was greeted by a familiar bowler hat, long red hair, and one visible green eye. He wasn't smoking a cigar, but he still smelled pretty bad… no doubt his dip in the ocean leaving him smelling like a wet dog.

"Oh, great, Faunus," he muttered. "Exactly what I wasn't hoping to see…" He glanced over at Kali, still holding onto Blake's shoulder. His eye ran quickly up and down… and then up and down again. "Well, I mean, maybe not _exactly_ …"

"Torchwick?!" Sun shouted. Unlike Blake he actually drew his gunchucks and prepared to attack, only for Roman to draw up his cane and knock the weapons from Sun's hand. Blake drew Gambol Shroud and leveled it at the red-haired man's nose. Torchwick looked at the submachinegun pointed at him, but only scoffed.

"Captain, do you have any idea who this man is?" Blake asked.

"Heard a few rumors," the Captain acknowledged. "But I've traveled these seas long enough to never believe _anything_ you hear."

Blake could understand the mindset, but she felt compelled to educate him. "This man is Roman Torchwick. He tried to release Grimm into Vale during the Breach. He attacked during the Vytal Festival and hijacked an Atlas ship that was defending the kingdom."

"I'm flattered you think so highly of me, little kitty," Roman mused, "But I think you've got the wrong guy. I'm pretty small time… you know, a theft here, a score there."

"Liar!" Sun interjected. "You teamed up with the White Fang and tried to destroy the entire city! You were working for that crazy lady who hijacked the broadcast and took the CCT down!"

"Now I _know_ you got the wrong guy," Roman replied. "The White Fang have been in Mistral for months now, working for a kitty Faunus like these two. I hate those guys… and only a fool thinks it's worth the time to bring Grimm in on a job."

Blake expected him to lie to save himself, but it didn't sound to her ears like he was making up a story…

"Where did you find him, Captain?" Blake asked, not taking her eyes –or her gun- off the criminal.

"Outside Vale after we got your message," the Captain replied. "No idea how long he'd been there, no idea who he was… just had to choose between hauling him up and leaving him to drown."

Blake nodded. She thought back on what Roman had said when they arrived… about whomever it was Roman was looking for… about whoever 'she' was.

"Torchwick, are you going to Mistral with the ship?" Blake inquired, before hastily adding: "Why?"

"I only had one lead to go on," Roman explained. "That the Fall Knight took a friend of mine. He and I had a bit of a… disagreement in Vale, but he didn't have much reason to stick around there. Last intelligence I had said his pad might be somewhere in Anima."

"Fall Knight?" Kali repeated.

Blake's mind raced. Who did Torchwick like enough to call 'friend'?

Well, she could only recall him referring to one of his associates by name. She'd made quite an impression.

"Neo," Blake realized. "You're looking for Neo."

Roman's expression quickly darkened. "And how –exactly- do _you_ know that name?"

"We can't bring him with us," Blake quickly instructed. "He's dangerous, and he's trying to find someone who might be even worse."

"Whoa, hey, I told you already you've got the wrong guy!" Roman protested. "I won't pretend to be an upstanding citizen; I won't even pretend I'm worth keeping around, but…"

He paused for a moment. He took his eyes from Blake's gun and looked at the floor. "… but whatever you may think of me, kitty cat I'm _not_ looking for trouble… well, no, that's not true, I expect I'll find plenty of it. I'm looking for my friend, because she's been captured by someone _way_ worse than me. I'm looking for the one person in this world that matters to me, and I'm not gonna let you –or anybody else- get in the way of that."

Roman stepped a little closer to Blake's Gambol Shroud, the metal nearly brushing his nose. "So you tell me how this is gonna go, kitty cat. You want your friends to crash in my cabin? Fine, I'll do what it takes if you take me to the port in Mistral. You want to shoot me? Then make sure I'm dead when you're done, because if you _don't_ , I will beat down you, the kid with the tail, the Captain, the crew, and every last Faunus on this island and get across the sea anyway. I don't know what sort of man you think I am… no, actually, I've got a pretty good idea… but my friend –my _family_ \- is suffering. I won't pretend that should matter to you, but… well, kitty, you're the one holding the gun. You're gonna have to make a choice one way or another."

Not so long ago, Blake had come very close to killing Roman Torchwick after defeating him in the train battle. He'd goaded her to act then, every bit as unconcerned about death staring him in the face then as he was now.

It'd be _very_ easy to pull the trigger and end his threat. No matter his boasts, no matter how much Blake had justifiably feared him during her first year at Beacon, he couldn't beat both Sun and herself, let alone all the other fighters joining them.

Her mother's hand was still on her shoulder. Kali's grip tightened ever so slightly, no doubt urging her daughter to calm herself and think before she acted impulsively.

If Roman reunited with Neo they'd just cause trouble somewhere else in the world. They might eventually be a problem for Blake or her friends… or she could end that threat right then and there.

"And _if_ you find her, what then?" Blake asked.

"I hadn't thought that far ahead," Roman replied. "Because honestly, kid, I'm not sure if I can save her or not… what I'll be walking in to… well, let's just say I'm not used to making bets I can't cover. But I'm _not_ leaving my girl."

It sounded like a sweet sentiment. But Blake knew how bitter it could turn… how what seemed like sincere affection could quickly turn to monstrous, all-consuming obsession.

But then again… if there was _anyone_ in the world Roman Torchwick cared about besides himself…

Blake hated him. She hated what he'd done to the White Fang in Vale and she hated what he'd been willing to do during the Breach and the fall. She hated him so much she was angry to find out he'd survived, and all these denials just made her anger that much more potent.

But then Blake thought of Ilia and the moment she saved Blake and her father from Fennec Albain… that good people could lose their way and find their way back with the right motivation. And she wanted to believe that some of those fighting alongside Adam would see a reason to lay down their arms –or even join her host- after Haven had been saved.

Her instincts told her not to lower her weapon. Her experience taught her to never give him an inch, because he'd slip through her fingers again and gain given the opportunity.

Sun taught her not every thief was as bad as he first appeared. Ilia reminded her that pain and loss could be a powerful motivator, for better or worse… and that she hadn't been too far gone.

Blake had a thought. "I'll let you come along… but on one condition."

"Oh?" Roman wondered.

"You help us stop the White Fang from destroying Haven Academy," Blake told him. "You do what I tell you to do, and you don't try anything… and once we're sure A- _they_ are dealt with, I'll let you go find your 'friend.'"

"Hm, not exactly in the mood for a detour…" Roman thought, "But if that's the way it has to be…"

He lowered his cane and offered his hand. He was no longer armed, and still facing down her gun. _Much_ more trusting than she'd ever expected of Roman Torchwick. And of course, he was offering a handshake to a _Faunus_ … there had to be something wrong, some ulterior motive behind this gambit.

She told herself this would end badly. She told herself they'd be better off chucking him into the ocean on the way.

But he _was_ a skilled fighter, and she doubted there was any love lost between him and the White Fang after their two failed operations. And turning him on other people even worse than he was seemed like the best possible solution that _wasn't_ killing him.

Blake lowered Gambol Shroud and slid it over her back. She tentatively reached out… and shook the hand of one of her greatest enemies.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ren knew there were castles out in the world… structures from a time before industrialization, carved in stone and designed to house local rulers. The four kingdoms were once ruled over by monarchs who sat in fortifications like this one.

But this castle sitting over red stone seemed older even than that. It reminded him of the ruins he saw in the Emerald Forest during initiation… pleated stone weathered by time but standing hundreds –if not thousands- of years later.

And surrounded by red rocks and pools of black matter, thick like blood.

"Hurry," Blake bid, standing before two massive wooden doors. "The Queen is waiting."

Ren did eventually take his eye off the architecture and followed Blake inside. The doors were massive, and the antechamber they led to just the same, with two long staircases leading up to a second floor, and strange designs he couldn't manage to identify carved into the stone tiles of the floor… the room was so dimly lit by a few torches on the walls Ren could barely make out its features.

He _did_ however notice something descending the staircase… something a sickly, pale white amidst all the black. Blake saw it too, and dropped to kneel on the stone floor, bowing her head low to the ground.

Ren watched this… _thing_ draw nearer to them, each step torturously slow. The closer their host came, the clearer her features… the bindings in her hair, the bloody red eyes, the lines of inky black running over her pale white skin…

He felt… _cold_ in her presence, and ever colder the closer she came. She wasn't even as tall as Ren was, but she struck such fear in him just by being near. No wonder Blake kept her face pointed away; she didn't want to betray her fear.

"My beloved son," the pale woman greeted, opening her arms and stepping over to embrace Ren, pulling him into a hug. Her nails ran over the back of his neck, but the scratch was far lighter than the deathly cold of the fingers brushing his skin.

"I… uh… don't believe we've been properly introduced," Ren suggested, trying not to be _too_ bothered by the cold hands or the terrible sense of fear she instilled in him.

"Ah, yes, forgive me," the pale woman nodded. "I was so eager to see you again, Lie… I am Salem. Your mother."

Ren tried to be formal and not too harsh in dismissing that. "I'm sorry to say my mother – _both_ my parents- died years ago."

"Oh, I know, Lie, I know," Salem cooed, "but you are mine now, my dearest son and heir to my kingdom. Whatever life you had before, whatever thoughts trouble you now… you are _home_ , my child."

She had a soft, soothing voice. It sounded strangely inviting…

Qrow warned him about Salem's devious plotting. This was an affectation, a trick…

"Blake Belladonna," Salem greeted, looking past Ren. "Why is the High Leader of the White Fang here?"

"The Spring Knight requested that I accompany him, your Grace," Blake answered, not removing her eyes from the ground.

"Really?" Salem wondered, glancing back at Ren. "I hadn't realized she interested you, my son…"

"I… used to know her," Ren answered, again keeping his input vague. He wasn't sure how much pretense he should keep up, but he was surrounded by enemies –possibly including the one who looked like his friend from Beacon- and in some world not his own. He couldn't be _too_ forthcoming.

The problem was, he felt strangely compelled to share… to answer honestly. Those fingers on the back of his neck were feeling warmer…

"I see," Salem mused. "Well, this will be a fine match indeed, Lie."

"Match?" Ren repeated.

"E-excuse me, Your Grace?" Blake asked, her face still pointed to the ground, but her lack of expression still conveying her surprise.

"Blake Belladonna, you are welcome in my home," Salem greeted. "Find a place to rest, child… I will discuss the arrangement further, after I've had a chance to properly reunite with my son."

Blake stood up from her knee. The mask hid her eyes, but _nothing_ could hide her terror at the prospect of staying in this place… she clearly hadn't intended to remain any longer than necessary. But she did as commanded. "Y-yes, my Queen…"

Salem returned her attention to Ren. "You must tell me how that came to be, my son. But first, we should discuss the matter of how long you'll be staying here… there is so much to do."

"Oh?" Ren asked. He couldn't help but be curious about why this woman –this woman so dangerous she made an experienced huntsman like Qrow fearful- seemed so interested in him. Or why she kept calling him 'son.'

"Yes, there is the matter of how you're acclimating to your new home… to a fragment apace from the remnant you know," Salem explained, leaning in close to whisper in his ear: "I'm quite looking forward to hearing about the other side."

Ren felt cold again… and it had nothing to do with the fingers holding the back of his neck. Salem smiled at him. "Now, then, would you like to see your home? Are you eager to know who you are… and who you could still become?"

* * *

 _The Forests of Anima_

It took a long time for Cinder to calm. She'd set many tree lines ablaze before her anger subsided… and even then she kept casting foul looks at Mercury, who did his best to avoid her gaze and not provoke her ire further.

Eventually, however, Cinder was able to form a rational thought untainted by her boiling anger. " _How_ is Pyrrha Nikos alive? I _watched_ her die."

"Clearly you're less effective than you thought," Watts mused. Cinder glared at him, fiery Aura rising from her remaining eye once again. "Not that this comes as much of a surprise… but as usual, you miss the greater point. If the Spring Maiden wasn't in the camp, she's likely alongside Branwen, wherever she's run off to. _That_ should be our priority, not whatever grudge you have left from your school days."

Cinder had to concede Watts was right. Insufferable as he was, he had a bad habit of being right. "What do we tell Salem?"

"The truth: we did not find the girl –nor Branwen- at the coordinates Leo provided," Watts suggested. "And then, of course, we tell her we _will_ … and we do so _quickly_. The White Fang is going to attack Haven in two days. We do not have the luxury of waiting."

"We need to contact the White Fang and tell them to wait," Cinder suggested. "If we don't find her in time…"

"Adam won't be happy to hear that," Emerald noted.

"Let the boy pout," Watts quickly dismissed. "Salem is the one who concerns me. I have no interest in reporting failure – _or_ delay- to her. I'm sure our Master will want to know what alternatives we can present."

"Funny you should ask."

They emerged from the forest, one clad in green, the other in black and red, barely visible below Aura that seemed to encircle him. Cinder didn't immediately recognize them, but Emerald did. "Arc and Ren… more kids from Beacon."

"Nikos' teammates," Cinder thought, her anger flaring up again.

"Once," Lie agreed, "But she isn't why we're here. The Queen asked us to find the Spring Maiden, the same as you… after we met up with you."

"Seems you guys botched things before we could get here," Jaune noted, looking at the fire still burning trees in the distance. "Good thing we're here to bail you out."

"And why –exactly- would anyone from Beacon help us?" Cinder demanded, narrowing her eye.

"I thought you two were traveling with Qrow," Emerald pointed out. "When did you decide to fight for the winning team?"

Jaune turned his attention to Cinder, eyeing her up and down. "I hate the haircut, Cin. Liked you so much better with long hair."

Cinder didn't care for his tone. She'd already been disrespected once today, and now his wandering eye repeated that act with every passing second. "Why would I care what you think?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm just used to you behaving differently," Jaune mused. "And _looking_ better."

Cinder's rage erupted. Emerald and Mercury dove for cover as Cinder unleashed her fire right at this boy insulting her. She expected she'd look far better than him after he was charred to a crisp.

Jaune took the hit full on, disappearing in a torrent of fire. Cinder kept the pressure up for several seconds before relaxing her grip, feeling _much_ better after giving her anger outlet.

Relief turned to shock as Jaune emerged from the conflagration, reaching up to brush his shoulder. He appeared completely unharmed. Even his Aura seemed unaffected, every bit as towering as before, burning brighter than Cinder's flames.

"Still feisty, I see," Jaune observed. "I wish I had the time to break you of that bad habit… as I did before."

"Enough," Lie interjected. "We're not here for that, Jaune. The Queen wants the Spring Maiden, so we obtain her."

"Well, much as I enjoy seeing Cinder humiliated, I'm sure you can understand my skepticism," Watts observed. " _How_ will you obtain the Spring Maiden? Branwen has likely taken her, and she has proven notoriously difficult to find…"

Watts seemed willing to indulge them if it got them out of their predicament and back into his master's good graces. Cinder was still torn between anger and shock. Emerald didn't trust a word they said, and perhaps a little indignant on Cinder's behalf. Mercury seemed pleased that Cinder's wrath was vented away from him.

Lie knew whatever agreement they reached would be fleeting; unlike Jaune and himself there was clearly friction and dissent in Salem's ranks. They were trying to persuade one alliance of convenience to accept another.

"I've fought her before," Lie explained. "And I know exactly what will bring her out in the open. Tell me, friends… does the name 'Ruby Rose' mean anything to you?"

Cinder paused. Stunned as she'd been to see Jaune take her attack, infuriated as she was to have been dragged away from her battle with Nikos, frustrated as she was to face the prospect of returning to her master empty-handed… the name brought her quickly back to focus.

"Yes," Cinder breathed, keeping her rage below the surface, waiting to see what these two would offer. "I know it well."

* * *

 _Mistral_

"We should get you something to eat," Ruby suggested, finally relaxing her grip on Nora. "It's been… what, an hour since you last ate?"

Nora finally laughed, or at least tried to. "When did you start looking after me?"

"Just wanted to return the favor," Ruby assured her. "I'll see if I can find something in the leftovers I can cook… you know, without burning it like I did with the cereal."

Nora tried to smile, to put a brave face on things. "You ran around for a good ten minutes before we managed to put it out."

"Please, it was more like five."

"Well, I don't know about food, but I could use a little pick-me-up," Nora thought, before optimistically suggesting: "Maybe some caffeine?"

Ruby was understandably wary, but torn between her wish to avoid giving Nora more fuel for her (usually) enormous energy and providing her friend something to help when she was feeling down. Though reluctant, she did eventually comply. "Fine. How many sugars?"

"I was thinking we squeeze as many as we can in there and see what happens…"

It was sweet of Ruby to try and cheer her up. It made Nora feel better… but it also reminded her of what she currently went without. She could prepare food for herself, sure, but the thought of Ren not cooking for her, not sitting across the table from her… her heart sank again and her smile vanished once Ruby turned her back and stepped into the kitchen.

Neo sat stiff when Ruby joined them, searching for coffee grounds. Jaune took notice of Neo's suddenly inflexible posture, then glanced at Ruby behind her.

It'd take time before she was used to sharing space with someone she'd spent months detesting and hunting down for the express purpose of killing. He tried to be sympathetic to that, even if it meant his new friend –and hopefully their new ally in the fight against Salem- would change quite drastically whenever his old friend wandered by.

"It'll get easier," Jaune suggested. "You know… eventually."

Neo turned her head. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ruby messing with the various bags, muttering to herself. The silver-eyed girl hadn't needed much time to show Neo her back… and right now she was so distracted it made for a _tempting_ target.

Neo tried not to think about it… tried not to let Ruby Rose spoil what had turned into an unexpectedly pleasant meal with Jaune. But she could either look at Jaune or look at Ruby; she wasn't yet so comfortable in the setting to take both eyes off the people around her. And as Jaune seemed less likely to turn on her (and Neo less likely to lose her focus and try to kill him in particular) she kept her focus on Ruby and the coffee she was sorting through. Neo began to scoot her seat away from Ruby, though she couldn't quite take her eye off the girl at her back.

Caffeine for Nora. What a nice gesture, to get her coffee.

Coffee… she remembered seeing the team registration at Beacon during the Vytal Festival. How quickly they moved on…

Another thought to push from her mind. What was she to do? The present was her with one friend and a bunch of former enemies she wasn't _entirely_ certain she wouldn't eventually kill if opportunity presented itself. The future was her blade in Cinder Fall's heart and _some_ measure of revenge for Roman after her manipulation… but that shining victory would only come after a likely very difficult battle. And the past… the past was just pain and loss, with the only bright spots muddled by what had been taken from her.

Roman. And before him…

No, it didn't matter now. Revenge on Cinder. Once she had that, once she found the sole bright spot ahead on her dark road, then she might take the time to reflect on her choices and her experience. After the deed was done, after she completed her only goal…

What then?

She finished moving her seat. She now sat adjacent to Jaune, rather than across from him. He reached over to put a hand on her shoulder… and Neo nearly jumped at his touch.

"It'll be okay," Jaune assured her with a smile.

Vague words. Why would he think they helped?

But once she calmed, Neo found she didn't mind his touch. Or his smile.

And the present didn't seem quite so bad, at least the part of it that lay in front of her now.

* * *

He waited until Qrow and Raven had a chance to announce their intentions. Once they'd finished outlying the plan Oscar made a discreet exit back to his room so he could finally inquire about something that had been weighing on him for far too long.

"So, are you finally going to tell me what all this is about?" Oscar asked.

 _I'm not sure what you mean._

"I _mean_ I've been covering for you for a while," Oscar reminded him. "The others deserve answers. So tell me what you're so afraid of saying to them, because I'm tired of you constantly blocking out your thoughts."

He felt what Ozpin felt, even if he couldn't recall it. Cold fingers running over the surface of his forehead. Pale skin like a living corpse. Eyes red like blood…

No, that was just a glamour; just a disguise. The eyes were silver behind the pool of blood. There was treasure buried beneath… and terror in front and behind.

"Ozpin, what are you so afraid of?" Oscar inquired.

No, not just fear. _Guilt._ **Shame.**

 _Tell me, Oscar. What do you feel when you look at Miss Rose?_

"Ruby…?"

He didn't have to answer. Ozpin already knew. Unlike the old wizard, Oscar couldn't conceal his thoughts.

 _I know what it is you're going through. I know why you're so drawn… why you've grown so attached to a girl you just met._

She had a kind smile… a positive, upbeat attitude… a fearless optimism even when recalling what she'd lost. It really wasn't so hard to believe he was drawn to that.

 _I know what this is, Oscar. I've been here before. I've seen how it ends… and what it costs to maintain._

"Stop being so cryptic," Oscar demanded. "Just… tell me what this is about."

 _Do you remember what I said about silver-eyed warriors?_

"I remember you weaseling out of telling Ruby about her mother," Oscar dryly noted.

 _Yes… I'm not proud of that. I liked to think I'd changed… but perhaps I really hadn't grown at all._

"Oz, just tell me," Oscar requested.

 _I knew what she would be before she was born. And I was determined to bring her into the fold, because I saw a possibility… just a possibility where she'd be the one to finally defeat Salem. I invested a great deal of my magic to provide her with a protector… a child born of partners who fate had not intended to join._

"Yang," Oscar quickly realized.

 _Yes. Created and –inevitably- consumed… because without her protector, the silver-eyed warrior would just become another vessel for Salem. But the Raven from this other remnant… this other world where I have apparently allied with Salem…_

Again he felt guilt. Terrible, all-consuming guilt. Cold fingers running across his forehead.

 _The gods cursed me for a reason, Oscar. Because they couldn't forgive my crime._

"What did you do?" Oscar asked.

 _Salem… Salem and I weren't always enemies. That isn't how our story began._

 _And it seems now, in another time and place… I may have remembered how I felt once upon a time._

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Salem proved surprisingly hospitable as she led Ren around her castle by his arm, pointing out many of the features, from the various bedchambers to the meeting room and Salem's throne of crystal. She commented frequently on how long his hair had become and more than once ran her uninvited hand through it… but what should've made him uncomfortable was feeling strangely… _inviting_. Hands that once felt cold on his skin now seemed warm to the touch. Questions that at first seemed invasive and dangerous were becoming easier to answer. A castle that once seemed intimidating now stoked his curiosity, as he pondered its secrets.

Once they stepped outside, however, he quickly remembered he was in a castle controlled by a mad witch surrounded by barren rock and pools of black blood. He looked away from the castle, over the railing to all that lay beyond Salem's keep, trying to regain some measure of collection before whatever strange effect she was having on him further unbalanced Ren's thoughts.

But he had little chance to compose and order his mind… because they took only a few steps before they found the battlements of the castle, and what was left hanging from them…

Ren fell to his knees at the sight.

He saw it all again: the roof caving in on his mother's head, blood running down his father's eye, fires rising from the homes of his family's neighbors… and her hiding under one of the remaining structures, a monstrous beast searching for her…

He'd never believed she'd die. She lived. He and she alone lived.

She was going to live a long life, because Ren would keep her safe… always.

"You often come out here to admire your handiwork," Salem noted. "It helps put you at ease to remember the day you finally had revenge."

"Revenge?" Ren repeated. "Why would I ever…"

"She was the reason your family died," Salem whispered. "She drew the Grimm to Kuroyuri with her sorrow… her pain… her fear…"

Nora wasn't at fault for what Grimm did. She was a child struggling to survive. Why would Ren _ever_ blame her for-

"For so long she's been holding you back," Salem spoke in a soft coo. Ren found her voice oddly soothing… and quickly tried to fight off that thought. "Haven't you ever wondered what it'd be like to take what you wanted?"

It was a deceit, no matter how sweet the words sounded running through his ear. Hurt Nora? Ren had never even _thought_ it.

"Would you like to know how it happened, my son?" Salem wondered. "Would you like to know how you killed her?"

Never. He never wanted to consider it.

But he _was_ curious. He wanted to know, no matter how he tried to deny it.

"I don't want to know 'how'," Ren replied. "Just… why? _Why_ would I do this?"

" _That_ , my son, is the important question," Salem agreed. "And I will be happy to tell you…"


	8. Hello Again

**Chapter Eight: Hello Again**

* * *

 _Another Time and Place_

Ozpin hadn't made such a physically arduous journey in years. And he wasn't such a young man anymore… no matter what powers he may have had buried within, his body still succumbed to the ravages of age. Traveling over barren rock where nothing lived towards an even more terrifying place… that wasn't a task even a young man would be up to. It was the journey of not only a younger man, but a far more reckless one.

So he kept telling himself. It was age that made the trek so hard, and not his intent. It was his graying hair and burning lungs, and not his doubt. It was longing for the stamina he once had that made the trip seem so long… and not the heavy burden he carried on his back.

She sent one of her Seers to greet him. She'd seen him coming long ago, but politely waited for him to enter her kingdom before she dispatched an envoy to deal with him. He was grateful she was paying attention and he didn't have to call to her. He _still_ wasn't sure what he'd say when they finally spoke.

The Seer had no eyes, but he knew she was looking through it. She was waiting to see what he'd do. She was waiting for him to make the first move.

But he was patient. She was not, at least in the safety of her own dominion. "Why have you come here, wizard? Are you so eager to die again?"

"I have never been eager to die," Ozpin admitted. "But I have always expected it. That's the difference between us: you run _from_ it while I spend so much time running _towards_ it."

"Did you come only to mock me?" Salem asked. "Because I am in no mood to humor you."

Ozpin could turn away and leave Salem to speculate on why he'd come. She might think he'd tried some sort of psychological trick and devote her attention to figuring out his action. It could buy precious time if Salem were distracted, if only briefly.

But it made no difference. The future he'd seen… the inevitable failure that had greeted him again and again…

How long had he tried doing the same thing and expected a different result? How long had it been since his cause had been anything but a burden?

"I know you are wounded," Ozpin told her. "I know you're running out of time… and I've decided to give you what I know you need."

He set the burden on his shoulder on the barren rock before the Seer. He did his best not to look down at her, and the little tinge of red in her dark hair. Years had passed and she'd barely aged a day from graduation.

The Seer reached down with a tendril. It pulled open her eyelid and found its prize of silver. "This is the one who stopped me before…" Salem realized, "…I thought she expired."

"No," Ozpin admitted. "I attempted to deceive you, to hide that away. But now… now I see more value in Grimm under your hand than leaderless and free."

"You never were one for generosity," Salem mused. "What will this cost? What have you come to ask?"

More than anything else he needed time. The next generation was nowhere near prepared… and they were doomed to fail just the same. It all seemed so pointless, to know another cycle would continue and he'd be no closer to stopping Salem, that she would continue to dwell in her hate and he would never escape his curse.

He'd briefly believed he'd found his way out, but the war changed that foolish notion. He'd needed the relic's power to end it, and that threat had been caused by _men_. If the Grimm ever slipped from Salem's clutches, they'd overrun humanity. Perhaps Salem would die and he could finally die with her… but then the world would be consumed in darkness and he'd have failed just the same.

For a brief moment he'd envisioned a future where Salem was defeated… but to attain it, he'd have to give up so much of his power as to be reduced to nothing, to entrust the remnant's safety to children unprepared to carry the burden. Raven Branwen fought against his suggestion and thus the piece he needed to achieve his goal would never come to be… and the next silver-eyed warrior would fail just as the one before him had.

If he asked what he wanted to ask, she'd sense his weakness. Salem would know just how close she was to victory.

And he'd die again… and again… unable to mount any resistance at all. Eventually there'd be nothing left but him, and her, and their curse.

"I've come to ask you to take me back," Ozpin admitted. "Because it's clear to me now that _they_ will never change."

He didn't wholly believe it. But he knew he'd sound weary and broken. He knew she'd understand what it was to lose hope.

"I've tried for so long to make them see, and they've fought me at every step," Ozpin continued. "They prepare for war against each other with every passing year, even when Grimm never stop assailing them. They still seek powers meant to protect their children so they can enrich themselves for a single day. They still forego any chance for real change so they can forget their problems for a moment.

"I do not wish them harm," Ozpin quickly clarified, "but I am no longer willing to save them from themselves. No… it is _us_ I mean to save now. It is _us_ I mean to ensure a future for… a future we will never have while we remain trapped in this endless cycle."

Salem was legitimately taken aback. Her silence could be nothing else; not when talking to him.

"So let me ask you, my love," Ozpin hadn't called her that in a dozen lifetimes, "if you really hate me so much more than the brothers who left us behind? If you hate me so much you can't remember the moment we sealed our pact and swore to be together?"

" _I'm_ not the one who forgot," Salem quickly interjected.

"No," Ozpin conceded, "I believed you'd done this for power… I couldn't see what you truly meant to accomplish. And I have never told you… that I am sorry. I truly am."

Again Salem was silent.

"So I ask you again, Salem," Ozpin began. "Do you hate me more than you hate _them_?"

* * *

 _Forever Fall_

Adam wouldn't tell her about the meeting he'd had. She knew it was something truly reckless and impulsive if even _he_ wouldn't consider it. Apparently performing a train robbery was a much saner course of action.

Well, they were humans. Perhaps their idea _was_ reasonable and Adam simply wasn't willing to accept proposals from humans any longer. He'd gotten so much worse Blake was honestly surprised the three people he met with hadn't left with a wound from his sword.

She found a place in the forest to sit: a rock at the center of a clearing. She took a look out at the red leaves as she considered her course…

Adam wasn't far off, just organizing the rest of the men while he and Blake would carry out their mission alone. Hopefully the SDC would be distracted protecting a stationary target while Adam and herself seized the real prize while it was in motion.

She thought she'd know by now. She thought she'd have the strength to go through with it… because a moving train was an ideal thing to get aboard when so much pain and anguish followed her home each night.

She was supposed to have heard… supposed to know there was another way, know there was hope…

Her Scroll beeped at her. Blake hastily lifted it and read the message, thinking she might finally be able to board that train.

 _Miss Belladonna, we regret to inform you that we are unable to enroll you at Beacon Academy this year. Beacon maintains the highest possible standards of professional excellence, and while we encourage-_

She didn't see reason to read it any further. She could board the train if she wanted, but there'd be no light waiting for her at the end of the tunnel.

Blake put her Scroll away and turned her eyes to the ground, thinking on what lay ahead. More of the same, more of what she knew…

She fell in love with him. Hopefully a day would come when he'd remember that.

Blake heard him approaching. She briefly wondered where she'd go if she left… if she wouldn't dread hearing his footsteps again. "Blake," he called, "It's time."

When she turned to look at him, Blake convinced herself that no matter how fearsome he'd become, the good man remained… and that he'd never find his way out of the tunnel without her guiding hand. And she so desperately wanted to return him to the light.

"Okay."

And not so far away, the wizard moved another pawn into place… one to be sacrificed quickly; a martyr for the war to come.

* * *

 _Beacon Initiation_

Pyrrha wasn't sure why she found herself so drawn to him. It might've been some protective, nurturing instinct… the poor boy didn't seem up for combat, given he'd apparently become airsick on the ride over. Or maybe it was because he didn't seem to know who she was, unlike everyone else who'd come over to introduce themselves to her and none-too-subtly imply they should join her team. He seemed a lot more impressed to learn she'd been on the cover of a cereal box than to learn she was a junior regional champion.

She was surprised by how much she liked him, and how quickly. It wasn't often she said "Hello" a second time.

But he'd already befriended another girl, a shorter one with red hair. Pyrrha at first thought those two might become teammates, as they seemed to get along quite well… but he'd also reached out and offered Pyrrha the hand of friendship, his efforts untainted by any apparent ulterior motive. If anything he seemed far more interested in the Schnee heiress… but again, more because he thought she was pretty, not because he knew who she was. Maybe Pyrrha was a bit too tall to catch his eye.

At the same time, she hadn't really had anyone in mind to add to her team… and she could think of a worse starting point than someone who wanted to be her friend rather than add her power and prestige to their team. She'd been isolated for so long it was honestly quite refreshing to meet someone who didn't know her name and didn't constantly sing her praises.

She considered who else might join them… she didn't exactly _dislike_ Weiss Schnee but was in no mood to use her status to lord over everyone else, and the girl from Atlas seemed quite ambitious. There was another Faunus girl Weiss was addressing now, one with tall ears and long brown hair… apparently she'd been an excellent student, with grades better than Pyrrha's own.

And while Pyrrha couldn't see any reason to dislike the small, quiet redhead Jaune had befriended, she wasn't eager to add any other girl who'd drawn his interest… and instead fixed her sights on an inseparable pair who clearly _must've_ been in love with the way the girl flitted about.

Jaune bungled his way through the landing strategy and Pyrrha threw her spear to catch him before he would've surely fallen to his death. He was slow to be appreciative –no doubt his masculine pride had taken quite a wound- but he seemed happy to have her as his partner, if for no other reason than because he'd _have_ a partner.

He was injured in the fall. Pyrrha suggested he use his Aura to heal his wound… and he had no idea what she was talking about. She placed a hand on his shoulder and drew upon her soul, reaching out to find Jaune's light.

And so much light there turned out to be… so much it healed him instantaneously, just by a brief exposure to Pyrrha's own.

She hadn't _meant_ to bind them together like this, but Pyrrha wasn't exactly _unhappy_ she'd been the one to see this side of him before anyone else.

* * *

They found six of the others after inadvertently drawing the attention of a Deathstalker. They carefully coordinated their efforts to defeat the monster, and with eight of them working in unison even an older, stronger Grimm couldn't best them. Jaune took charge during the fight, directing Nora to 'nail' the beast after Pyrrha dislodged its stinger. Pyrrha and Nora shifted into a natural groove and worked in tandem to deliver the finishing blow, and Pyrrha realized she'd unintentionally teamed up with the very partners she wanted.

She didn't know if Weiss was disappointed not to be on the same team as 'the invincible girl.' If she was upset about the loss, she hid it well… because she was too busy being irritated by the exuberance of another red-haired girl who seemed thrilled to be the Schnee's partner.

They'd returned to the academy in what seemed like an instant. Professor Ozpin was happy to read off the team designations. First Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark… thereafter, **Team CRDL** (Cardinal), led by Cardin Winchester.

Their turn was next. Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren… together, **Team JNPR** (Juniper) led by… Jaune Arc. Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at the sight of his shock. She playfully punched his shoulder, and a stunned Jaune actually fell to the floor.

She was so distracted helping him up and apologizing for the harm done she barely heard the names announced, just the final statement… **Team PRWV** (Perwinkle) led by… Penny Polendina.

Weiss seemed frustrated by the announcement. Pyrrha briefly indulged a smirk, hoping it'd go unnoticed as she watched the enthusiastic redhead bound over and hug the _other_ , much more subdued redhead on her team, the 15 year old Ruby Rose, selected personally by Professor Ozpin for advancement placement. She seemed to enjoy the hug, probably significantly more than Weiss or Velvet would have.

Nora had jumped onto Ren with a big glomp of a hug. There really wasn't much reason Pyrrha couldn't do the same for Jaune… it would've been better received than punching him, anyway.

Something she learned today, at least.

And the wizard placed twelve new pawns on the board… but really, he'd only need three of them.

And he'd have to eliminate the one Ironwood had sent to keep an eye on him. This wasn't a game James was meant to partake in… and he was much too eager to promote himself.

* * *

 _Mid-Semester_

"Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time," Pyrrha assured him, doing her best to be kind and not too harsh in her appraisal. "It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us: you made it to Beacon! That speaks volumes about what you're capable of!"

Jaune turned away from her, lowering his head. "You're wrong. I don't belong here."

Pyrrha would not have it. "That's a terrible thing to say! Of course you do!"

She just wanted her leader to be confident. More than that, she just wanted her friend to feel better… and to feel better because _she_ believed in him.

But when Jaune turned to face her, it wasn't gratitude and acceptance she found… it was **anger**. "No, I _don't_! I… I wasn't really accepted into Beacon…"

Pyrrha was taken aback. "W-what do you mean?"

"I mean I didn't go to combat school," Jaune admitted. "I didn't pass any tests. I didn't _earn_ my spot at this academy; I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts and I lied!"

"What? But… why?" Pyrrha asked.

"Cause _this_ is where I've always wanted to be!" Jaune proclaimed. "My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all _heroes_! I wanted to be one too… I was just never good enough."

Pyrrha saw how it hurt him to reveal this. She knew that whatever rules he'd broken, his intentions were good and sincere, and she so very badly wanted to help him. Pyrrha was so determined she reached out to find his shoulder, trying to caress it with her hand and soothe him: "Then let me help you!"

Jaune's frustration erupted again. "I don't _want_ your help! I don't _want_ to be the damsel in distress! I _want_ to be **the hero**!"

There it was. The terrible truth… the man Jaune Arc really was.

He indulged in some self-pity. Pyrrha was powerless to help him. She was still just a teenager, and still unable to offer him the reassurance he needed. She hadn't yet learned to fix what was broken within him.

"Don't you understand? If I can't do this on my own, then what good am I?" Jaune asked her. "Just… leave me alone, okay?"

Pyrrha wanted only to help him. But clearly he wasn't ready to accept it. She bowed her head, doing her best to conceal her sadness. "If… that's what you think is best…"

They were part of a team. They were _supposed_ to help each other. He didn't _have_ to be a great warrior: Pyrrha liked him for who he was, whatever his faults.

But she did as he bid, leaving him alone on that rooftop… alone to be found by someone with more sinister intent.

"I don't suppose you were planning on telling _me_ that, were you, Mr. Arc?"

"P-professor Ozpin! I was-was just…"

"That was very impressive," Ozpin quickly interjected. "Not many of us are capable of admitting what we truly wish for. Most of us chastise ourselves for being too selfish or too blunt… it seems you have no such limitation. Whatever lies you may tell, your goals are all too sincere."

"Professor?"

"I have a use for such earnest determination," Ozpin told him. "And I can think of a way for you to become stronger… through your own will. Not my help… just me pointing you in the right direction.

"Tell me, Mr. Arc… what is your favorite fairy tale?"

* * *

 _End of the First Semester_

"Fox tells me he and his teammates are facing expulsion," Ren told them. "As CFYN has been unable to find a replacement, they've been unable to go on any missions. Professor Ozpin has been as patient as he can be."

"Has he?" Jaune snorted. "Or is that just an excuse to make space for all the people staying here for the Vytal Festival?"

"Fox didn't tell me the specifics," Ren answered. "He wasn't talkative to begin with, but the loss of his partner left him hurt… and I think it dragged down his teammates, as they wouldn't allow themselves to move on without him."

"That's very kind of Coco," Pyrrha observed.

"Eh, she's rich, right?" Jaune inquired. "I'm sure she'll be okay."

It was a harsh statement. Accurate… but much too blunt to be kind. Jaune had always been blunt, but he usually had social grace enough to use kinder words than the first ones that came to his mind. It was great he'd become so assertive, but Pyrrha worried he'd lost something along the way.

"It'd be a shame to lose them," Ren thought. "They're very talented and they should have a promising career ahead of them… they suffer now because someone approved them going on a dangerous mission unsupervised when they were still first-years. They blame themselves for something that was out of their hands."

"How long do they have?" Jaune asked. "Weeks? Months?"

"Most of the students being housed here will arrive at the start of the next semester," Ren answered. "I… I imagine that's when they'll have to leave."

"Maybe I can talk to Ozpin," Jaune suggested. "Maybe he'll let them stay."

Ren nodded. "I'll… tell Fox we're trying to help him. I'm sure he'll be appreciative." None of his teammates were fooled. Ren was an even worse liar than Jaune, and the bags under his eyes only made it clearer he knew he'd fail.

When both the boys were gone, Pyrrha leaned over to the uncharacteristically quiet Nora, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It hasn't gotten any better?"

Nora sighed and shook her head. "If anything, I think it's gotten _worse_. He used to have the nightmare once every few months. Now it's once or twice a week. I really hoped when we got to Beacon, when we _finally_ had somewhere safe to stay he'd get better. Now…"

"It's not your fault, Nora," Pyrrha assured her. "He doesn't blame you."

"I know he doesn't," Nora agreed. "But somehow that's even worse. Because I know he never _will_."

Pyrrha nodded. Ren wouldn't ever allow his personal problems to affect anyone else… at least any more than they had already. If Pyrrha hadn't shared a dorm with him for months she'd have never even known he had bad dreams; she'd only ever think he was tired and probably think Nora was to blame, constantly stealing his energy with her exuberance. No one who saw Ren cooking for Nora or patiently waiting on her from afar would realize how much it helped him to cope to look after her.

Fox was one of Ren's closest friends outside his team. Ren tried to help Fox process his own suffering, and Pyrrha sincerely hoped the three remaining members of CFYN would remain with them, both for their sake and for Ren's own.

Pyrrha took the time to embrace Nora, knowing she'd been abstaining from her usual tackling of Ren as his nightmares and sleeplessness grew worse. Nora gave the best hugs, and it was a shame she couldn't show off that skill... but at least Pyrrha had a chance to get better at giving them herself.

* * *

 _Shortly After_

Pyrrha was on her way back to her dorm when she found a pleasant surprise greet her, emerging from within. She had barely seen Coco all semester, and was delighted to finally have a chance to talk to her and give attention to a friendship too long neglected.

Coco's usually very properly aligned and fashionable attire was strangely askew, with her clincher out of place and her beret lopsided on her head. She wasn't wearing her sunglasses either: she only had her brown eyes staring ahead, looking surprisingly dull and vacant.

Pyrrha was instantly concerned. Coco wasn't exactly _upbeat_ , but she was never _disheveled_. Pyrrha reached out to grasp her friend's arm, quietly asking: "Coco, are you all right?"

"I'm great," Coco replied, though her tone didn't convey that at all. "I just heard that Professor Ozpin is going to let me stay through the next semester."

Pyrrha quickly put her concerns aside. "That's great! We've all missed you, Fox, and Yatsu so much!"

"Oh, Fox and Yatsu aren't staying," Coco clarified, though her pitch remained the same. "It's unfortunate, but Professor Ozpin said he couldn't keep all of us."

"But… I thought he needed your dorm space for the contestants?" Pyrrha asked, trying to figure out what piece of the puzzle she was missing.

Coco just shrugged. Pyrrha then began to wonder if Coco's dull, glassy eyes and disheveled state had more to do with her teammates' woes than her own… "So… what's going to happen to them?"

Coco shrugged again. "I don't know. I haven't really given them any thought… I've been hanging out with Jaune this afternoon."

"With… Jaune?" Pyrrha repeated.

"Yeah, he told me after he talked to Professor Ozpin," Coco explained. "We… uh, kinda…"

It wasn't like Coco to hesitate. But the disheveled clothes, the timing of events…

"I hope you don't mind," Coco told a stunned Pyrrha. "We just… well, one thing led to another…"

Pyrrha wasn't thinking about Team CFYN at all now. Her thoughts were wholly for Jaune and what had just occurred. She could picture Coco hastily dressing herself and heading out and…

She had to see him. Pyrrha abandoned any attempt to talk to her friend and headed to her dorm, unlocking it with her Scroll. She found Jaune lying under the covers of his bed, his clothing on the floor… and she almost as quickly shut the door.

Jaune and Coco? Had they… had they even _spoken_ before today?

Maybe Coco was less bothered by Jaune's assertiveness than Pyrrha was. Maybe it appealed to her. Maybe she needed some solace or was expressing gratitude for Jaune trying to help her and her teammates.

Searching for a rational explanation didn't make it hurt any less.

* * *

 _The Docks, the Same Day_

Adam didn't trust the human named Torchwick, so he went to oversee the operation personally. Things had been going smoothly at first, with one shipping crate after another loaded up and ferried out without a hitch.

Blake was eager to be done. She didn't trust the woman in the red dress who set up this alliance, nor did she know why she instilled such fear in Adam… _or_ in the criminal Torchwick, who seemed completely fearless around Adam only to turn timid in the face of their mutual employer. If she could frighten these two men hardened by a painful life of loss and struggle, she must've been truly terrifying.

Blake was keeping an eye on the entrance to the docks when her sensitive ears detected a commotion. She raced back only to find Torchwick fleeing in a Bullhead with the Dust, while Adam engaged an enemy on the ground, swords clashing.

She wielded a red blade just like Adam, but her form was _far_ better. She outmaneuvered him at every turn, constantly pressing an advantage. Adam's men tried to intervene and the woman effortlessly cut them aside, never breaking her stride.

Blake couldn't make out her face: it was obscured by a Grimm mask not so different from their own, with all manner of red tribal markings. She had long black hair that fell down past her waist but it never once interfered with her balance of her precision.

Blake tried to get there, to help Adam… to stop this woman before she-

Adam's Aura broke against her sword. The woman slashed at his face, and blood splattered over his mask. Adam fought on, blind… and charged right into her waiting sword, impaling him and poking through his back.

Blake just looked on, horrified, as the man she loved –the man she followed halfway across the world- slumped backwards from this strange woman's blade, landing on the paved ground before his adversary. The other members of the White Fang were still leveling guns and swords at her… but if _Adam_ couldn't stop her, what hope did _they_ have?

Blake didn't begrudge her brothers for not trying to attack her: she was a Huntress, an elite warrior they couldn't hope to match. Blake once hoped to study to become one of them…

She rushed to Adam's side, cradling him. The Huntress in the Grimm mask leveled her sword down at Blake, who could do little more than plead: "Please… please stop…"

"Why did you come here?" the Huntress demanded. "Why are you attacking Vale?"

"We're not!" Blake protested. "We came to steal from the Schnees! We don't care what kingdom we're in!"

The Huntress's mask betrayed no emotion, but she seemed… hesitant to act. She still leveled her sword but made no effort to attack.

Blake heard Adam cough and reached down to him. She tried desperately to wipe the blood dribbling down his chin, then to hold the wound in his midsection. When she turned to glare at the woman who did this, Blake found no one standing there… just a brief glimpse of a swirling mass of red and black, just as quickly gone from sight.

"Blake…" Adam coughed.

"Be quiet," Blake fiercely instructed. "Don't try to talk. Hold it together, okay? We'll get you out of here… we'll get you help."

Adam shook his head. "You were… always a good liar, Blake… just not as good as you thought…" He reached a trembling hand up to remove his mask, and Blake saw his eyes again. When she looked at them –even now in their death throes- she remembered why she followed him and why she fell in love.

"No, Adam, don't you dare," Blake managed to say, squeezing his other hand tightly. "Don't do this to me!"

"It's not over, Blake," Adam reminded her. "You still have to fight… have to… finish what I started…"

Blake tried to fight back the tears. She tried to deny it, to reaffirm that he'd live, that he'd be there to see the day when the Faunus were finally…

"I will, Adam," Blake promised. "I will."

She squeezed his hand until he was gone.

And the wizard removed one pawn from the board, knowing a much more valuable piece would take its place.

* * *

 _The Second Semester_

Salem told him which woman she'd chosen. And about the disciples she'd picked up along the way. Ozpin knew the process, and had found the means to replicate it… all thanks to the gift Atlas had given him to sustain the life of the Fall Maiden already attacked by Salem's herald.

Ozpin couldn't draw the powers into his chosen vessel naturally, and wanted to avoid using Salem's parasites to bind it in place. The technology was imperfect, but if it held Aura to a machine in _another_ of Atlas's little toys, so too would it suffice for Ozpin's plan.

Ironwood had the machine installed as soon as he arrived, all operating under the pretense of setting up security precautions for the Vytal Festival. Qrow was supposed to deliver the poor affected girl, and the machine would be up and running when he arrived with her.

In the meantime, Ozpin would invite the Maiden's assailant to visit the chamber herself.

Just as he had with Coco before her, Jaune used the relic as soon as he had a chance to find her alone. He washed away her mind and made her his puppet. Because he found her fetching, Jaune did the same to the girl's green-haired disciple. His appetites had only grown the more tastes he'd been given.

Ozpin was careful in timing events, so Ironwood would be focused on pushing his machines on the populace and Jaune's teammates would be distracted. Fortunately, Salem was quite adept at poisoning one of their minds.

Jaune joined him in the vault in the middle of the day. He'd be easier to miss than if he'd come in the dead of night. And with a pretty girl on his arm, no one thought his intentions were anything more than a base wish.

There would be pain, but Salem said she was strong. She would survive it.

Jaune wasn't meant to have this power. Ozpin never intended _any_ man to have it.

But Jaune was special. He had so much Aura, and his Aura could perpetually regenerate through his Semblance, healing damage done to it and (indirectly) healing wounds to the body. The Maiden Aura would reject him, fight to free itself from him… and he'd heal himself and keep it in place faster than the Aura could leak out. Even cut in half, the Maiden's power would meld with his own Aura and constantly, _endlessly_ recycle. He was meant to have such power… his Semblance would make the transfer possible and permanently bind him to this gift.

When the process was complete Cinder Fall was left drained… but when Jaune lifted her from the pod she smiled fondly and reached up to caress his cheek, as she was grateful to have been of use to the man she had become so devoted to… the man the Relic of Choice now made her live entirely to serve.

Jaune smiled at Ozpin, his face partially obscured by the Aura leaking out of him, before casting a very _different_ sort of smile towards the woman he carried in his arms.

He only had half the power he was promised, and he was already swayed. He'd be _far_ easier to control than the woman now in thrall to him.

And the wizard watched one pawn promoted to a knight.

* * *

 _One Fateful Night_

She'd barely seen Jaune. Ren had only grown more distant the worse his nightmares became. Many nights it was just herself and Nora, and when Pyrrha returned she expected this night to be the same. She wished things had gone better with Jaune –she was still bound to him, no matter how often he left her to chase some other girl- and still occasionally thought on the kind, sincere boy she'd met at initiation. She wished Ren would recover from his ailment because he had always seemed such a good man too, but unlike Jaune the demons Ren wrestled with weren't of his own making; just specters of the past that would not leave him.

Nora had become her dearest friend, if only by default. Pyrrha would be seeking solace, and so too would Nora, both of them going without the ones they fell in love with… and so turned to the friend who'd offer a shoulder to cry on.

But then Pyrrha saw her, and the bloodied Storm Flower still embedded within… and though she wouldn't say it aloud, she knew her last friend was gone. She didn't even have a chance to say goodbye.

Pyrrha raced to find him, to demand he explain why he killed the person who loved him most in the world… though she hoped it was his sickness, his malady that led him to this terrible act. She wanted to believe he was still a good man who'd finally lost his last vestige of control.

She found him in a deep vault beneath Beacon. But no manner of metal barrier could keep her away… not when she needed answers, not when all her friends were now lost to her.

She found Jaune and Ozpin in that vault. Ren had just emerged from some strange chamber, his skin coated in a gray sheen… the Semblance that hid him from the Grimm by suppressing his Aura. He hadn't used it since their first days at Beacon, because it required a very calm emotional state and for months his emotions had been out of balance. Now it seemed he'd found the necessary alignment to hide his soul… if he still had one.

"Why, Ren?" Pyrrha demanded. "Why did you do it?!"

She never thought she'd turn a weapon on a friend before that night. She never once considered using her Semblance to do Ren or Jaune harm.

Ren had the decency to look guilty. Jaune was smiling broadly. Professor Ozpin was watching her carefully, apprehensively.

Pyrrha tried to use her power. The strange chamber Ren had emerged from rent and contorted…

* * *

She wasn't sure how she survived. At some point he dragged her up from the wreckage left behind and up the elevator. She tried to regain her bearings, but she felt drained of power, unable to focus.

He left her outside in the courtyard. Before he vanished from sight, Pyrrha dragged herself after him, asking one final time: "Why… why did you kill her?"

Ren looked back at her, showing more emotion than she'd ever seen from him… bright green Aura emerging and encircling his pink eyes. He raised a hand, and Pyrrha saw something gather in his palm…

…and then he lowered his hand and closed his eyes. "She died a warrior."

Pyrrha tried to ask what that meant but couldn't make herself speak. She fell forward into the paved ground, listening as Ren strode away, leaving her finally, truly alone.

And the wizard promoted a second pawn. Now he had _two_ knights in his service… and as an added bonus, one of the pawns still lingering on the board had destroyed Ironwood's machine. Ironwood would never be able to infuse the Maiden powers into the toy soldier he'd planted in Ozpin's school, and the destruction of the vault meant his former allies would believe the relic either buried deep underground or in the hands of their enemies.

Now there remained only one more thing in Vale left to acquire… the last silver-eyed warrior.

* * *

 _Mistral, Another Time and Place_

Pyrrha landed outside the walls of the kingdom so as not to cause a stir when she arrived. Weiss seemed to prefer traveling on foot to riding in a sphere she couldn't see out of, and was much more at ease taking in the city… though she did express a wish she'd had time to change out of her burnt and dusty skirt.

Pyrrha thought about going directly to the school, but fate intervened first: Weiss recognized Ruby's uncle Qrow Branwen, standing outside of a house with a large dirt yard. Ruby's uncle was an even better starting point than Haven Academy, and she quickly agreed to visit the house Weiss pointed out.

Part of her was suspicious this could be some manner of trap… but Weiss had never done her wrong, despite the expectations Pyrrha had of her when they met. So she followed the shorter girl, hoping her trusting nature wouldn't lead to her downfall a second time.

Weiss was just as hesitant to knock as Pyrrha. Though Weiss was eager to see her friends again, she wasn't sure exactly what she'd tell them… and Pyrrha was sure there'd be a great deal to explain when she summoned the courage to greet them.

When Pyrrha finally knocked she waited, expecting an enemy to emerge at any moment. Salem and Ozpin had sent their forces after her and deceived Weiss with one of Emerald's illusions, or Qrow had been forced into their service before the relic had-

Or…

Or… Nora could answer the door, her face every bit as red, her eyes big and blue like Pyrrha remembered… with her orange hair even longer, more beautiful than she recalled.

"Pyrrha?" Nora asked, every bit as stunned to see Pyrrha as Pyrrha was to see her.

Nora died in her world. There was no reason for Pyrrha to assume she'd died in this one. But she still couldn't believe what lay before her.

Until Pyrrha lost any hesitation and rushed forward to hug her, pulling her friend into an embrace. Nora was just half a second behind her, squeezing her even tighter… Nora always gave the best hugs.

She hadn't had the chance to say goodbye. Pyrrha knew exactly what she wanted to say now.

Pyrrha did her best not to cry as she cradled Nora's head to her shoulder and whispered: "Hello again."


	9. Nightmares

**Chapter Nine: Nightmares**

* * *

 _Forests of Anima_

The Seer came to join the gathering of her forces and their potential new allies. Watts was quick to scamper in and deflect as much blame as possible. "Your Grace, it seems Branwen wasn't at the location Leo provided us. And then of course Cinder felt compelled to settle her grudge with some girl from Beacon and we got _quite_ off-track."

Projected in a reflection on the surface of the Seer's head, Salem raised her hand to silence her subordinate. "There's no need, Arthur. Our new friends have told me all about the situation we've found ourselves in. It seems that Raven Branwen has been the Spring Maiden we've been trying to find all along."

Watts scratched his chin. "Odd. I wouldn't think her a likely candidate."

"The Maiden's power can transfer to whatever suitable vessel the last host thinks of," Salem explained. "And Branwen is ruthless enough to acquire that power… and cautious enough to elude us. I'll allow the knights to elaborate."

"Knights?" Cinder repeated, glancing at Arc, Aura still encircling him.

"I'll make this quick," Jaune said. "The Raven you know has somehow been swapped with the Raven we know. You help us capture her, we add the sweetener of giving you the girl Ruby Rose too. My brother's pretty sure they'll be together."

"Where we… came from, Raven saw Ruby as her daughter," Lie explained. "We capture the silver-eyed warrior, and she will come to us. Or we find the location of Ruby Rose and that's where Raven will be. Either way…"

"And the Raven _you_ know," Watts quickly interjected. "I assume she won't be able to open the vault for us, even if we _do_ manage to find her?"

"Once we have her, we'll bring her back to our side," Lie explained. "As soon as she returns, the Raven Branwen you know will return here… and we'll place her right into your hands."

"And this 'side' you come from," Watts inquired, "Do tell me more about that…"

"Another time, Arthur," Salem insisted. "You will be returning to me while Cinder goes to speak to Adam Taurus and ensure our White Fang have a new time to coordinate their attack. The knights will recover their Branwen and the girl Rose for us, Once they have what they need, you'll regroup at Haven Academy and secure the relic."

Watts seemed interested in pursuing the matter further but did as his Queen bid. Cinder was a bit more blunt in voicing her objections. "And you trust them to handle this?"

"I trust their intent," Salem replied.

"What's to stop them from taking what they want and just returning where they came from?" Cinder demanded. "Or to just take the relic for themselves once they've brought Raven back?"

"A fair question, gentlemen," Salem conceded.

Lie dropped to a knee. "Once we've captured her we will bring her to Haven to your Grace's agents. You can watch us return her if you so wish… and the Spring Maiden in our possession will appear before you to open your vault. We know better than to act without our Queen's approval."

"If you have the Spring Maiden already, why can't you just send her back?" Cinder demanded. "If you're so willing to follow Salem's orders, why not show us some good faith?"

"The Raven we know has a piece of Professor Ozpin's magic bound to her," Jaune interjected. "And we have plans for it."

Cinder was growing increasingly wary. She glanced at the Seer with her remaining eye, hoping Salem would pick up on her suspicion and doubt them as she did. And Salem _was_ concerned… it wasn't quite the same plan they pitched to her when they arrived. But she couldn't reveal that to Cinder or Watts; the alliance was hanging by a thread and needed a firm hand to keep it in place. Salem would allow them to play their games a while longer and see if the lies were meant for the queen or the pawns.

"Good faith must be acted on by multiple parties," Salem assured them. "I know why you doubt them, Cinder, but at the moment they have a means of providing us what we seek."

"Thank you, my Queen," Lie graciously replied, bowing his head low. Cinder scoffed at his servile motion.

"We shouldn't underestimate them," Cinder suggested. "And we shouldn't trust these two to handle it themselves. If you'll allow it, my disciples would be _very_ useful in capturing Raven."

Salem stroked her chin, considering it. "Do you have any problem with that, Lie?"

"Not at all, my Queen," Lie assured her.

"So long as they don't get in the way," Jaune agreed, before glancing over at Emerald with a crude sort of smile. "Could use the company."

Emerald rolled her eyes. Mercury eyed the two warily, but wasn't in any hurry to contradict Cinder –or Salem- no matter who he was instructed to work with.

"Very well then," Salem agreed. "Cinder, tell Adam Taurus to hold his fire for now. Let's see what our new friends can do."

Cinder gave a bow, albeit a much shorter one than Lie, still crouched low to the ground. She was still wary of them, thinking about how Jaune had taken the full brunt of her attack with no visible damage to his Aura… and exactly what Salem meant by 'knights'. Cinder knew what she _thought_ their powers were, what she _tasted_ when she briefly clashed with Jaune… but it was impossible.

But then, they also claimed there were two Raven Branwens and two sides, two Remnants…

Cinder meant to steal the power of another Maiden when the opportunity presented itself. Now she wondered just how much power there was for her to find, if men could hold this ancient magic too. Now she began to wonder just how powerful she could become.

And just how many 'allies' she needed to stick around once their task was completed.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

"Do you remember the nightmares, my son?" Salem asked, still running her fingers through Ren's hair as he knelt before the sight of his friend's dead body hanging above him. "How they troubled you still when you came to Beacon? I know you went to great lengths to hide them from your teammates…"

Ren had the nightmares during his first few months at Beacon, it was true. They'd followed him all the way from Kuroyuri, but only Nora ever saw them. The moment he'd start thrashing she'd sidle up beside him and hold him still. All Pyrrha and Jaune ever saw was Nora's lack of respect for personal space and Ren's quiet tolerance of it. He'd appear sleepy and aloof the following day, and many would conclude Nora's presence simply drained away what little energy he had to work with, when in fact her flitting about elegantly concealed the restlessness he began his day with.

The nightmares became less and less frequent the longer he remained at Beacon. Nora still found reasons to cuddle up beside him, of course, but as time went on the past seemed only further away.

Then Nora helped him in Kuroyuri, stopping him from throwing his life away in battling the monster from his past. Working in tandem with his friends from Beacon, he destroyed the Nuckelavee and avenged the deaths of his parents and the destruction of his home. From that day on, with Nora beside him as ever and his friends at his back, nightmares hadn't pierced his sleep. He'd thought the past finally gone.

The Nuckelavee –all the Grimm- were Salem's minions. How could he possibly _ever_ think this woman trying to endear herself to him could be any less monstrous than the demon that killed his parents?

Salem seemed aware of his attempt to resist her, her caress becoming only gentler. "She was the source of it all, my son. She clung to you to try and absolve herself of guilt… to forget her pain by taking you as her family. She wanted to forget, even if you never could."

Ren forcibly shook his head to get Salem's hand away from his hair. "And I suppose your intention is nobler?"

"I saw your nightmares, my child," Salem replied. "In this world, Ozpin told me how you suffered. I reached out to find you and make your sleep easier. But your partner refused to let your pain end. She couldn't bear to live with her guilt alone."

Salem's words sounded logical… but Ren quickly pushed that thought away. Nora suffered as he did, but she carried on with exuberance; energy he couldn't hope to muster. She took care of him just as Ren took care of her. Whatever Salem thought, he would _never_ do something so horrible as this.

Yet Ren kept looking at her suspended above him. He couldn't imagine his hand wielding the weapon that cut her, but he could envision it vividly…

This was just more manipulation on Salem's part. She had some gift, some Semblance –possibly even some _magic_ \- that corrupted his thoughts, and he would not allow her to dig deeper into his mind. She was trying to manipulate him, just as she had his other self when she…

"What did you mean before?" Ren asked. "What did you do to m- to this other Ren while he slept?"

"I drew the darkness from your mind," Salem explained, reaching over to run her fingers over his forehead. Ren did his best not to shudder at her touch, to not betray fear… and then found himself in a far worse predicament, as her touch once more felt like a warm caress. "And held onto it for you… keeping you away from your past and reminding you of home."

Ren saw it in vague, hazy glimpses… of Salem embracing him in a hug, of cradling his head in her lap and caressing his hair again, of smiling warmly at the sight of him, proud of her child and all he'd become…

Ren frantically shook his head and drew away from her fingers. "I don't know what you did to this… this other incarnation of me, but I am _not_ going to repeat his mistakes. I am _not_ your son, and I am _not_ the man who killed Nora."

He finally stood up and looked at her hanging above him. "I don't know what you expect me to become, Salem, but I will not be the monster you turned your child into."

"Monster to whom? Huntsmen? Kingdoms?" Salem asked. "My child still. And whether you accept it or not my son, _she_ is the one who brought you suffering. And she always will."

Ren closed his eyes and let Salem's words pass over him. He thought on the ride from Kuroyuri to Mistral, as Nora looked out their ship over the forest and hills, and he reached over to take her hand in his own… how she smiled at him, her cheeks just _slightly_ redder than usual as she slid over to nestle her head in his shoulder and they left the past behind them… as the future beckoned and seemed so much brighter…

"You came too late, I'm afraid," Ren assured her.

"We will see," Salem allowed. "Well, come, my son; I imagine we have a time to wait until the work is done in your other world… what say you tell me how you became so taken with the High Leader of the White Fang?"

Ren was wary about explaining that. Every word Salem spoke to him wore away his defenses and made him more amenable to her offer, but he had a memory to focus on to repel her now. He just had to hold out and rebuke her until his friends could deal with this other version of himself –this Spring Knight Raven warned them of- and he could find a way back.

And if they couldn't…

He'd remember Nora's smile and holding her hand. He'd remember the moment she helped him defeat the past.

He would _not_ be consumed by it. He had someone counting on him to stay strong, and for the moment, the memory of her would keep him safe.

* * *

 _Mistral_

With Jaune still occupied keeping an eye on Neo, Nora had ushered Ruby out of sight when she heard a knock at the door. She didn't know what to expect… at _best_ it was a Huntsman associate of Qrow's. As far as she knew, all the people he'd been able to find had already joined them, including one who'd decided to stick around only _after_ her unsuccessful attempt to kill Ruby. She had no idea what to expect, but no matter how wracked Nora was trying to get by without Ren, she remembered to keep Ruby safe from the bad people hunting for her.

It gave her something to think about aside from absent friends. Nora had become every bit as protective of Ruby in the past few months as she was of Jaune. Maybe not quite as protective as she was of Ren, but certainly as protective as she'd been of-

When the door creaked open, Nora's first thought was she'd seen a ghost. Nora's second thought was that Emerald had used her fancy illusion tricks to deceive her and she should be on her guard. Her third thought was that her memories had somehow manifested in front of her, and that without Ren to anchor her to the present, the past was bleeding into her thoughts. "Pyrrha…?"

Then the past raced over and hugged her, a moment before Nora had the very same thought. Pyrrha cradled Nora's head to her neck and shoulder, accommodating for her shorter stature as she always did. "Hello again," Pyrrha whispered, and Nora was instantly at ease.

Nora squeezed her tightly and listened to Pyrrha's rapid breath, savoring their embrace for a few wonderful moments. Eventually, however, Nora drew back to take her friend in, just as Pyrrha's eyes moved up and down. Their grips upon each other relaxed, but never once released.

Upon spotting Nora embracing whoever came to knock on the door, Ruby slowly edged her way over… and her eyes widened in shock at what she beheld.

She still had nightmares. She still remembered the moment of finality in vivid, _graphic_ detail. She still feared closing her eyes knowing she would have to relive the moment sometime in the night.

And there was Pyrrha, arms wrapped around Nora, alive and well… still so tall, still so impressive…

"Pyrrha," was about all Ruby managed to say.

Nora stepped aside, still keeping one arm wrapped around Pyrrha's back. Pyrrha looked deep into her silver eyes, smiled politely and said: "Hello, Ruby."

Ruby stepped forward, still astonished. Not too far after her trudged her sister Yang, every bit as stunned but notably less entranced. Pyrrha did her best not to be bothered by everyone staring at her and kept her attention focused on Ruby.

When Ruby drew near she poked Pyrrha's arm with her index finger a few times, as though unable to believe the girl standing before her was real. Pyrrha did her best to be patient, indulging a rapid series of little pokes from the younger girl.

Then Weiss reached in from outside and took hold of Ruby's wrist. "Stop it, you dolt, you're being rude."

"Weiss, come on, I'm just amazed t-" Ruby then did a double-take. "Weiss!" She jumped right past Pyrrha and pulled her teammate into a tight hug, rivaling even Nora's prowess. When Yang saw the two she smiled fondly, until Weiss managed to poke one arm out from Ruby's fierce grip and beckon her to bring herself in. Yang was only too happy to comply, enveloping both girls in her embrace.

Weiss shed all annoyance in an instant, wrapping her arms behind either sister's neck and pulling them close. She could barely keep her emotions in as she mumbled: "I missed you **so** much…"

"I missed you too," each sister replied, hugging only tighter.

Pyrrha smiled at the sight, even if she didn't know the tall blonde… well, _that_ tall blonde…

Another stepped forward from the kitchen, flanked by a shorter girl with three colored hair… Pyrrha couldn't help but be unnerved to think some habits from her world carried over into this one…

But at the same time when she saw those blue eyes of his… bad memories weren't the only ones that came to mind.

"Pyrrha," he whispered.

"Hello, Jaune."

Neo looked up at Jaune, perplexed, and then back to Pyrrha and all the hugs being exchanged. Hadn't the Mistralian girl been set up by Cinder and killed during the fall?

This was all starting to give her quite a headache. It was proving surprisingly difficult to keep track of who was dead and who wasn't.

Well, no. Not quite. Neo still knew who _she_ 'd lost.

And who took him.

* * *

 _White Fang Headquarters, Mistral_

Cinder didn't like standing before him when he sat on that throne. She'd been prostrate before him once already, before she'd gained her Maiden powers, and that had been difficult enough to endure. Seeing Adam lounging in the seat of the White Fang's power made her wonder if he'd recall that time when he'd been _able_ to defy her… and a time when she'd had no choice but to accept his decision. Adam wasn't the sort to express much gratitude, even if he did owe his newfound power to Salem and her allies.

"And why should we wait?" Adam wondered. " _When_ should we attack instead? My men are eager to send a message…"

" _Of course_ they are," Cinder patiently indulged him, keeping her attention focused and trying not to let her considerable anger show. "But I'm sure you understand the need to coordinate."

"I was patient with you at Beacon," Adam agreed. "And that was a success… at least for the White Fang."

Cinder felt her temper flare again but let the remark pass. "This will be no different; another Huntsman academy will fall and everyone will be made aware of your strength. And then Atlas can start their war and your White Fang can pick up the pieces."

Adam seemed gleeful at the prospect. Cinder might've once indulged in a similar enjoyment at the thought of so many enemies slaughtering each other… but now it was hard for her to maintain much enthusiasm when her every step was wracked with pain from the wounds Ruby Rose had inflicted. Still she managed a wry smile.

"What exactly is the reason for the delay?" Adam asked. "What are we waiting on?"

Cinder had no intention of telling him about the Maiden or the relic. She'd hoped his bloodlust would be motivation enough to do their bidding, but it seemed he hadn't lost his curiosity. Cinder made him wait after the failure at the Breach and he was not eager to be kept waiting again, even if he could see the rewards waiting for his loyal service.

It was natural he'd be curious. "Leo Lionheart, the Headmaster at Haven- he's our informant. He thinks it'll be much more damaging to the kingdom if the school is destroyed _just_ before classes resume, so we might dash the hopes of so many huntsmen-in-training gearing up to defend their kingdom. Mistral will be demoralized further… even easier prey for Atlas and their machines to strike."

"Salem didn't promise _him_ protection, did she?" Adam asked. "Because I think quite a few of my men would enjoy seeing that traitor burn down with his school."

Adam may have carefully masked his own intent by attributing it to his subordinates, but he didn't hide his own interest. He had an appetite for killing, and finally had a position to do it on a large scale. No doubt he wanted a big political victory to match up to his installment as leader…

"Once Leo plays his part I can't imagine my master will have any more need of him," Cinder replied. "So, by all means…"

"Fortunately he's given me ample cause," Adam assured her. "One of his Huntsmen killed our former High Leader… and I intend to show Mistral's council that the White Fang cannot be ignored any longer."

Such bravado… did Adam even realize the scale of retaliation he was so gleefully inviting? Or how eagerly he was cleaning up a loose end and deflecting all attention from Salem and turning more and more of humanity against him; indeed against _all_ the Faunus?

Hopefully not. He'd be so much easier to control if he thought all of his reckless attacks were of his own initiative. And if he wasn't strong enough to wear down Atlas and their war machine for them, so much the better… one more loose end dealt with.

The door to the chamber slammed shut as a new entrant joined them. Cinder turned her head around to see the brutish form of Hazel enter, carrying a body on his shoulder.

"Another one?" Adam asked.

"There have been many," was Hazel's simple reply, placing the deceased on the floor. Cinder watched as weapons fell over the dead man's chest. "Lionheart gave us the locations of some of his best fighters."

But clearly not better than Hazel. Or at the very least, unprepared for him… Cinder wondered just how many he and Tyrian had worked through now. She wondered exactly how much resistance they had left to deal with.

"If you have nothing further, please excuse me, Ad-," Cinder requested, before quickly amending. "High Leader."

Just a little reminder. Just a tiny show of respect. Even _that_ tasted like acid in Cinder's mouth.

Adam seemed pleased at her gesture and waved her off. Playing to his ego had worked well enough, but Cinder sincerely hoped she wouldn't have to put on such a show again. She would tell him the time when she had one, and then hopefully he could die a martyr for the White Fang cause and keep Atlas bogged down in Mistral a few months.

Cinder moved quickly over to Hazel. She wasn't particularly fond of _him_ , either, but of Salem's other subordinates, he was by far the easiest to deal with. "Have you been informed?"

"Yes," was Hazel's gruff reply. "I'm supposed to join you and your team when our new… _allies_ return to Haven."

"Did our master decide to kill them if they fail her?" Cinder asked, carefully hiding her hope and trying to keep her tone neutral.

"If it comes to that," Hazel confirmed. "But only if it's necessary. We still don't have the Maiden, and the boy in Sienna Khan's seat needs to be reminded his place in all this."

Between Hazel, herself, Emerald, and Mercury, surely they could repel the former Beacon students, whatever powers they may have acquired. So if they were foolish enough to try anything…

Then again, even if they _weren't_ , they'd be returning from a battle to capture a very dangerous woman. No doubt they'd return with a wound or two when rejoining Hazel and herself.

There were a great many possibilities to consider…

* * *

 _Forests of Anima_

Emerald wasn't sure what to make of the two. She'd had very little interaction with Team JNPR at Beacon –almost all of her social interactions were with Team RWBY, because Ruby Rose had flitted about making as many friends as possible- and had only gathered what information she thought might've been relevant to Cinder's plans. Once Cinder decided on using Pyrrha Nikos in their scheme for the Vytal Festival, Emerald stopped observing the team and paid them no more heed. What she could recall was that Jaune Arc was an incompetent buffoon and Lie Ren was very skilled and capable, but constantly deferred to his leader's orders and spent a lot of time suppressing his true talent.

The dynamic they had now seemed more like a partnership, with Jaune deferring to Lie's tracking ability, while Lie turned to Jaune to provide the brute force. It wasn't too different from the dynamic she shared with Mercury: he wasn't unintelligent by any means, but he was very much the brawn to her cunning.

They saw Mistral towering in the distance, the kingdom's mountain towering over the tree line. Lionheart had told Salem and Cinder that Qrow had been the one to pass the information about the Spring Maiden to him, and it was highly likely the drunken Huntsman and his band of students would be waiting for them within. Between Qrow, his sister Raven, and Ruby and her friends she and Mercury alone would be outmatched and they'd need the assistance of their new allies.

Jaune kept casting unnerving looks her way. It was bad enough traveling with people she didn't know she could count on, but this added a new layer of frustration. At least Mercury had the decency to stop hitting on her after the first rebuttal. She wasn't sure how she'd fight off Jaune if he decided to advance from leering to something more serious… and she wouldn't enjoy explaining to Cinder how she'd spoiled their alliance by fending off unwanted… advances.

He'd received an attack from Cinder without suffering any visible damage. If _Cinder_ couldn't stop him, the best Emerald could hope to do was distract him with an illusion.

Lie drew back from Jaune and stepped beside Emerald, whispering to her: "He won't be coming after you. He's just in a very foul mood… he hasn't had much sleep since we arrived."

"And why should I believe that?" Emerald wondered.

"Believe it or don't," Lie dismissively replied. "But he has his orders from the Queen. He isn't to harm any of you here… but his Aura will keep him up unless he burns off the excess."

Lie was being subtle, but Emerald knew enough to pick up on his meaning. She was horrified at the very thought. "Ugh… and who would subject themselves to that?"

Lie didn't answer her. But Emerald got the distinct sense he wasn't biting his tongue because he _didn't_ know.

Jaune had made a particularly crass remark to Cinder before and implied some familiarity…

Had Cinder been the one he'd gained the power from? In his… other Remnant? And more even than that, were Jaune and Cinder…?

Were Jaune and _herself_ …?

Emerald shuddered at the very thought. Maybe she was fortunate and he was leering at her because he _hadn't_ subjected to her to his twisted aims back home. Emerald really had preferred not thinking about it, but it was hard not to now.

But her thoughts quickly refocused on the important possibility: if Cinder was still Salem's servant elsewhere, the queen been content to sacrifice her to Jaune. Emerald knew she was surrounded by dangerous and powerful people with their own conflicting agendas, but she hadn't considered the possibility of Cinder being the one discarded by her master.

It shouldn't have come as such a surprise. That had been Roman's fate, and it'd probably be the White Fang's after they served their purpose. So that left her to wonder… if Salem could replace _Cinder_ –if that had been what Jaune implied- then how long would it be until _she_ was replaced? How long could she expect Cinder to protect her if Cinder couldn't necessarily protect herself?

Salem's house had been a den of wolves before, but Emerald had been under one of those wolves' protection. Now she had to ask herself: how long would that last?

And how long would Jaune Arc hold his appetite without Salem present to hold his leash?

* * *

 _Mistral_

Jaune just looked on, completely awestruck. Pyrrha did her best not to be bothered by the way he stared at her. She tried to remind herself –again and again- that she was in another world and that the Jaune before her was not the one she knew.

But clearly, _he_ knew _her_. The others had started slowly sliding away from her, with Ruby, Weiss, and the blonde girl all making room and Nora just managing to detach herself. It seemed likely that she and Jaune had _some_ kind of bond in this world too, and Nora was just as aware of it.

At the ruins of Vale Pyrrha had learned the basics, that Jaune was her partner here and her team had formed much the same way she remembered. But she _also_ remembered him being her partner when he slowly descended into vice, eventually becoming Ozpin's brute to satisfy his very worst impulses… and taking a few good people with him if they caught his increasingly wandering eye.

This wasn't the Jaune she knew. Pyrrha reminded herself again and again.

"Wow," Jaune exclaimed. He just continued to stare at her.

But not in the cruel, inappropriate leer Pyrrha was used to receiving from him. He seemed genuinely stunned rather than lecherous. His eyes were still wide; cruelty absent from his face. He looked… much like the Jaune she'd met at initiation.

She had to keep dispelling these thoughts. "Now… I'm sure you're all very surprised to see me. I heard that I... well, I was reported killed in the battle at Beacon. But, if it's not too hard to believe-"

"You're from an entirely different world?" the blonde girl blurted out.

Pyrrha was taken aback. "I-uhm… yes."

"Yeah, we've been dealing with that lately," the blonde girl explained. "So what's your deal?"

Pyrrha wasn't sure where to start. Or exactly who she was talking to. Why was Ruby Rose so attached to her? "I… don't believe we've met."

She seemed surprised. "Really? Huh, wonder what else went on at that weird alternate Beacon you went to…"

Pyrrha briefly glanced back at Nora, before promptly burying the thought and refocusing her attention as the blonde girl offered her hand… only to immediately retract it and offer her left instead. Pyrrha quickly noticed why: her right arm was entirely prosthetic, spray painted gold and black. No doubt she was trying not to make Pyrrha uncomfortable… or perhaps aware of her power.

"I'm Yang," the blonde explained, still extending her hand to shake.

Weiss and Ruby observed, apparently just as surprised Pyrrha didn't know the girl. Again she reminded herself things weren't quite as she remembered them for the others gathered here… and gently took the blonde girl's hand in her own. "Pyrrha."

She returned her attention to Jaune, still just staring at her. Yang smirked and asked: "Aren't you gonna say 'hi', Ladykiller?"

Jaune did his best to try and compose himself, stepping forward. Pyrrha tried not to look wary as he drew nearer, and tried to remind herself she didn't have reason to fear him here… not if Nora and Ruby Rose were traveling alongside him without fear.

"I'm…" Jaune began, clearly struggling to find something to say, racking his brain. Then when he finally found the ability to speak he averted his eyes and hung his head low: "…I'm sorry."

Pyrrha never expected to hear Jaune say that. She never imagined him ever returning to the kind boy he'd been from the monster Ozpin had warped him into.

"I'm sorry I failed you," Jaune continued. "I wish I'd been stronger then. I wish I'd have been able to help you… and kept you safe before Cinder ruined everything."

He had his own set of memories to work with. And he was wracking himself with guilt for failing to save his friend…

Maybe their recollections weren't so different.

Pyrrha tentatively reached a hand towards him, struggling to even press her palm to his shoulder. It felt strange trying to show affection to him… it had seemed a very long time since she'd _wanted_ to. It had seemed a very long time since she'd seen him without the corrupted Aura raging all over him, obscuring him beneath its flames.

Then she stopped and spotted the shield strapped to his arm. He'd made some sort of modification to Crocea Mors, some new engraving…

Pyrrha's hands ran over the gold trim emblazoned in Jaune's shield. Her eyes briefly looked up to the tiara that –in another life- forged this new accompaniment to Jaune's shield.

He still would not meet her eye. Pyrrha slowly removed her hand and reached over to his chin, gently prodding him up to look at her. When she saw those eyes again, she remembered watching a cut on his cheek vanish, when she briefly embraced him in the Emerald Forest and bound their souls together to unlock his Aura. She felt a smile forming on her lips.

Jaune finally acted, opening his arms and drawing nearer.

Pyrrha acted instinctively, reaching out to the metal in his plate. He was wearing heavier armor than she remembered, but it made little difference… she flung him back into the wall. The short girl with three colors in her hair rushed over to him, Pyrrha's extended hand still radiating with her Aura as she held him in place.

"Pyrrha!" Nora gasped.

Her reaction passed quickly… her rational mind returned in an instant. Unfortunately, it was an instant _after_ she'd lashed out and hurt someone who seemed to be reaching out to embrace her, just as Nora had before.

He wasn't always a monster. And in this world, it seemed he wasn't a monster at all. Yet she was perfectly willing to hurt him…

"I'm… sorry…" Pyrrha murmured, averting her eyes as the short girl helped Jaune to his feet, glaring a burning hole into her.

"Oh, boy," Ruby muttered. "We probably shouldn't mention Ozpin to her just yet."

"Ozpin?" Weiss repeated.

"Yeah, this is gonna take a while," Yang agreed, waving her sister off before breaking from the group hug herself to help Jaune to his feet, her eyes darting between Neo and Pyrrha. It was hard to imagine Torchwick's former lackey would be the one helping her friend to his feet, and _Pyrrha Nikos_ would be the one who attacked him.

It helped she'd already processed so much in the past few days. But this was still hard for Yang to wrap her head around.

Pyrrha glanced back at Ruby and Weiss. She quickly refocused her attention on what she'd come for. "Ruby Rose," she greeted again. "I… I'm not sure quite how to explain this, but I've come here for you."

"Really?" Ruby wondered, before audibly sighing. "You know, I've been hearing that a lot lately…"

"I'm here because Salem is after you," Pyrrha explained. "And because if she _doesn't_ find you… we can finally defeat her."

* * *

A few rooms over, Oscar just continued to stare at the ceiling, musing on what Ozpin had told him.

"When were you planning on letting me in on this secret?" Oscar asked.

 _When you were older,_ Ozpin replied. _I know that doesn't seem fair to you, but I didn't want to rush matters… I wanted you to get time to grow accustomed to the weight of your burden._

"And what, just keep our secrets from all the others?" Oscar demanded. "Just… just _lie_ to them and use my mouth to do it?"

 _There are a great many things I've kept from them,_ Ozpin admitted. _This was something that will_ _ **not**_ _help them Oscar. It will only sow further dissension and mistrust._

"And what are they supposed to do, just blindly follow you, without knowing what you've done?" Oscar growled. "You're right… this _won't_ help them. But they deserve to know just the same." He sat up and climbed out of bed.

 _Oscar, wait. Don't do anything rash… stop and process what I've told you. Consider all options before you make matters worse. Think about how this will impact them. Think about Miss Rose!_

Oscar was aghast. "How can you even say that? After what you did?! _You're_ the one who… who cursed her with those eyes! And for what? So you could help your witch girlfriend become more powerful?!"

 _So we could stop the Grimm, Oscar! So we could protect the people from their rampages by keeping them under our control!_

"Well, you see how well that worked," Oscar dryly remarked. "All you did was give Salem an army of monsters. And all you're doing now is trying to clean up a mess you couldn't fix in a single lifetime."

Oscar did his best to glare up at his own forehead. "I hate that I'm stuck with you. You _deserve_ to be cursed."

Ozpin was quiet for a long time before he replied. _I… have never thought otherwise._

"Never?" Oscar interjected.

 _Not since I realized what she would do. Not since I understood what she had become._

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Blake hadn't had much chance to rest in the empty bedroom she'd chosen. She'd just paced back and forth thinking on Salem's suggestion. She thought –she _hoped_ \- it was just some sort of playful tease, some inside joke between her and the Spring Knight. But if it wasn't…

What was she to do? _Refuse_ an instruction from Salem? Salem asked _once_ , and the people who refused her were all huddled together in the freezing cold of Atlas knowing Salem could simply wait them out and her Grimm would always outnumber their machines the longer they tried to fight. The alternative to obeying the Queen was a slow, prolonged death.

She'd heard both her 'sons' were unmarried, and that the Fall Knight had a… _collection_ of women to entertain himself. So it was possible the Spring Knight was… better? By comparison? Well, until Blake recalled how he'd brutally murdered a lot of people.

But then… her hands weren't clean there. She'd killed so many more, in comparison. She just did so while watching from a rooftop while a bunch of Grimm destroyed most of the kingdom of Vale. She may not have cut them down herself, but she had ordered their demise… and made a point to take the credit for the heinous act over the CCT.

She remembered the aftermath of the Breach. Her parents sent a communique from Menagerie condemning her actions. Her father –the Chieftain of Menagerie- _disowned_ her for what she'd done. Blake thought nothing of it at the time, as she'd finished what Adam had begun… she'd carried out his dying wish and brought Vale the justice it deserved.

And then Salem had her do the same to Mistral, and gave her the ashes as a reward. She'd finally given the Faunus what they needed: a proper kingdom to settle and be prosperous within. She knew difficult times lay ahead, but without fear of attacks from the Grimm…

Many times she thought of turning back, but what could she do now? Abandon the Faunus to Salem's wrath?

She wouldn't have chosen this human boy. But if it spared her people from harm…

Blake reached up to feel Adam's bloodied mask. The Spring Knight could have her hand if he so wanted it, but her heart had long since gone. Now all that remained was the grim, brutal, _necessary_ duties she had to carry out… and the burden she'd had to bear ever since her love was taken away.

* * *

Ren couldn't really flee from her, no matter how he wished to escape whatever influence she was trying to exert over him. Salem seemed amused by his continued resistance, playfully teasing him as though they were playing a game. The more she smiled and laughed the harder it was for Ren to ignore whatever was assailing his thoughts, and he felt increasingly at ease when he knew he was being ensnared by some sort of terrible spell.

An unexpected reprieve came to him, however, when a small Grimm with many tendrils floated over, drawing Salem's attention. The creature's glossy black head transformed into a strange, very clear image… of what appeared to be-

"Professor Ozpin?" Ren inquired.

Salem permitted his interjection. "Forgive him, my love. He hasn't finished his education yet."

"He isn't the only one," Ozpin replied, hoisting up the unconscious body of Raven Branwen, immediately catching Ren's eye. "This one's done nothing but resist me. Now that she realizes we need her to bring the knights back she thinks she's gained some leverage… and she's not entirely wrong. I think we may need to take a drastic step to correct this."

"Oh?" Salem wondered.

"I think the time has come for me to recover the relic stolen from us," Ozpin explained. "It will require considerable resources, of course… but I believe we can fool James and the others if we attack where they don't expect us to."

"If you leave the vault you won't be there to recover Jaune and Lie when their mission is complete," Salem pointed out, and Ren was surprised he detected tangible _concern_ in her voice… before quickly telling himself it was just another of her tricks, another attempt to manipulate him.

"They may have to wait for me," Ozpin conceded. "But I do not believe Branwen will comply any further."

"Give her to me then, my love," Salem requested. "And I will make ready our Grimm to push on Atlas and draw their attention… how will you deal with the Fall Maiden?"

"You needn't worry, my love," Ozpin assured. "I have brought war to Atlas before. I have _never_ forgotten how to bring them fear. And though its power has begun to ebb, I have just the weapon to remind them…"

Ozpin placed the unconscious Raven before whatever was projecting the message. Ren faintly saw red tendrils reach out and wrap around her before the image vanished from the strange creature's face.

Salem turned to Ren and smiled. "It seems you'll be present to witness something very special, my son."

"There is nothing special about harming the innocent," Ren flatly replied.

"Oh, there are no innocent left, my son," Salem assured him. "Ozpin saw to that the last time he wielded his sword."

Ren was curious against his will. He couldn't help but ask: "Sword?"

Salem's smile widened. "Ah, yes. Whatever your resistance, I suppose there isn't any harm in telling you… do you know how Ozpin brought an end to the Great War?"

Salem ran her fingers over his forehead again. Ren saw it in flashes… of a man reaching into desert sands and drawing a long, heavy blade from sandswept stone.

"He called it a sword, then," Salem explained. "But he knew what it was… he knew a gift from the gods. And it brought exactly what was needed to end a war that consumed all of this remnant."

The man swung the heavy blade. Everything… sand, stone, patches of water and grass… all of it vanished in an instant. Ren had heard Qrow describe something like this...

"Destruction."


	10. Survive

**Chapter Ten: Survive**

* * *

 _Southeast of Anima_

Roman was running out of cigars, and despite being in proximity to a team of sailors he didn't have anyone to bum a smoke. He wasn't fond of staring out at ocean, and he didn't want to sulk in his cabin while sharing it with a trio of Faunus, so he took to passing the time on his journey on whatever deck had the fewest people to fill his field of vision and chomping through one cigar after another. On this night he was happy to lean against a railing staring at the deck and away from the various groups of Faunus milling about. They were still days from Mistral, and at the rate he was burning through his supply…

Still, he was never one to be patient. Roman pulled out another and searched his coat for his lighter, thinking he could find some innovative way to smoke a little more slowly and think of a way to not be bothered by his current crop of company.

"Could you please wait a moment?"

Roman turned his attention to whoever bothered to address him. He'd quite enjoyed not having any Faunus bothering him for a while, but now someone was interrupting his blissful isolation…

Well, not all Faunus were so annoying. At least this one was easy on the eyes. And apparently offering him a cup of tea to alternate from his cigar chomping.

Normally Roman was smart enough not to accept a strange drink from a pretty girl. But if they were going to bump him off, they'd have probably been a bit more practical about it and just tossed him in the ocean. So Roman withdrew the cigar from his mouth and slid it into his coat pocket, graciously taking the drink. "Thanks."

The older cat Faunus leaned on the railing beside him, drinking from her own cup. She was quiet for a few moments, but Roman suspected she hadn't come simply to give him a gift; she would've left by now if she was simply being courteous. She just had social grace enough to wait and let him get comfortable before she pursued her true intention.

"Something you wanted to know, Miss…?" Roman inquired, taking a draught. He wasn't well-versed in tea, but he thought it tasted good enough.

" _Mrs_.," she gently corrected him, "But call me Kali, please." She sipped from her own cup before resuming conversation proper. "I heard a lot about you from Sun; he's the energetic one with the tail."

Roman did his best not to remember every punk he got the better of, but this one stood out because he happened to be in close proximity to a genuinely pretty Faunus… and then accused him of a bunch of stuff he'd never done. "I think I mentioned he has the wrong guy."

"So you're _not_ a notorious criminal mastermind?" she asked, with just a hint of playfulness.

"That's just what I _tell_ people," Roman assured her. "Big hit with the ladies."

Kali was patient with his remark. She'd probably heard better… but at least it seemed she'd also heard worse. "Sun told me you were a big problem for my daughter and her friends. That you were the most wanted man in Vale."

"Well, I got the cops' attention once or twice," Roman acknowledged. "But they had bigger problems than me to deal with. Neo and I were just trying to make a few bucks. The White Fang were blowing things up more often than they were stealing Dust. I like a good explosion as much as the next guy, but it's really not the sort of thing you should give away for free."

"So why did Sun think you were working with the White Fang?" Kali wondered. "You… don't seem particularly fond of Faunus."

" _Most_ Faunus," Roman replied with a wink. "I don't hate Faunus more than I like money: I did _one_ job with the White Fang, because someone hired me to steal Dust for her and I needed some muscle. I wouldn't have worked with that crazy freak Adam Taurus if I thought she'd take 'no' for an answer."

He saw Kali visibly tense up. She knew the name. And if Roman had to guess, not _only_ by reputation.

"We were hitting some Dust being stored at a port in Vale," Roman explained. "Things were going smoothly for a while, until a Huntress showed up and cut right through his men. I got what I could carry and headed back to the warehouse. Last I heard a new girl took over leading the Fang in Vale, so I figure Adam wasn't so lucky."

"Adam is very much alive," Kali replied. "He's assassinated Sienna Khan and taken over from her… though he's been deceiving everyone into thinking a human Huntsman was the one responsible."

"Huh, good for him," Roman thought. "Maybe I'm out of the loop, but last I heard the girl who took over from him ended up as High Leader after she led a bunch of Grimm into Vale. I wasn't at all willing to work with the Faunus after that, especially when the boss lady stopped returning my calls."

Kali pondered over her tea. In close proximity to him and with relatively little noise to interfere, Kali could listen to any changes in his pitch and tone or sudden jumps in his heart rate. She had no doubt a career criminal would be a capable liar, but he hadn't slipped up even once. He firmly believed he'd experienced the events he was recounting to her now.

Sun told her about how Roman Torchwick hung over her daughter's head and haunted her thoughts for weeks and months. He mentioned how his capture helped set Blake's mind at ease and made her much more open and lively, if only for a few fleeting moments. The man she was talking to now didn't match up at all with Sun's recap. And his motivation now wasn't profit, and he wasn't _actively_ sowing seeds of chaos… he was just trying to find something – _someone_ \- he'd lost.

"The girl you're trying to find –Neo," Kali inquired. "You said she was family to you. Your daughter?"

Roman chuckled. "Not quite." At Kali's raised eyebrow, Roman scratched the back of his head, ruffling his handsome bowler a bit. "I've never really known how to describe it. No one's ever asked me to. We're…"

Finally Kali detected a change in his heartbeat, her ear twitching to listen in. She waited to try and discern a lie, while her eyes carefully measured his face, watching his eyes shift back and forth. But after a moment of contemplation, Roman's heartrate steadied. "It's honestly strange to think about. I haven't known her that long at all… not even a year, honestly."

Roman normally wasn't one to spill his thoughts to a relative stranger, but he'd entered many strange alliances in the past few months since the Breach… since the Fall Knight took his girl from him. And it didn't hurt this Faunus was easy on the eyes and seemed genuinely curious, rather than accusatory like the younger one.

"I found her lost and alone," Roman explained. "I've been there myself, and used to be I'd have passed her by without a thought, but _something_ about her was different. Something about her was _special_."

Roman paused only long enough to drink some more tea. Kali seemed quite intently focused now.

"First I just thought… this girl has some skill, and maybe she'll be grateful enough for food and a roof over her head to work with me," Roman continued. "Slowly but surely I got used to having her around… so much it feels weird even now to be stuck without her. I added her to my life but I couldn't just take her out of it. That's what family is, isn't it? Something you can add but can't replace?"

Kali finally turned her eyes from him down to her tea, thinking on her child, and the day she left with Adam to keep fighting against the inequality of humanity, and how long it took her to grow accustomed to her baby girl's absence… to feel something missing even when she eventually learned her child was safe.

"That sounds about right," Kali finally confirmed.

Roman took another sip. "You don't have to be concerned about me. I'm not exactly _thrilled_ to be stuck working with Fau- working with people I don't know," –he quickly amended, apparently thinking better of his first thought- "but no one's buying me out this time. I've lost something more important to me than Lien… and I'll do what it takes to get her back."

Kali hadn't necessarily expected the hardened criminal to be so sincere. She hadn't thought a kind gesture would be returned by a genuine display of very… uncomfortably familiar concern.

She rested against the railing, thinking her daughter may well have been right to give the thief a chance to prove himself. "Are you certain she's still alive?"

"That's what I taught her to do: survive," Roman replied. "We gave each other something to fight for… something more than we had, anyway. I'm sure she's had it rough out there, and I wish I'd had more time to teach her all the tricks… but whatever she's seen, whatever she's been put through, she's alive."

He had faith in his girl. Kali could certainly relate to that.

There were worse people to share tea with.

* * *

 _Mistral_

Neo glared at the redhead while she helped Jaune up. She hadn't been privy to all the details of Cinder's plans, but Neo distinctly recalled that girl as being a centerpiece prior to the attack on Beacon. She _also_ recalled that the redhead was on Jaune's team, and Neo was pretty sure she'd made eyes at him once or twice in the preliminary round. Why was she attacking him now?

"It's okay," Jaune assured her, "I'm okay. I think she just…" He couldn't even complete his thought. He was trying to hide it, but he'd been hurt. Far more by the action than by the impact, given the slight flutter in his tone.

The redhead turned her attention to Ruby Rose. She wasn't looking at Jaune any longer, paying him no more heed. Apparently she'd come for the young girl rather than her old partner, and was motivated to keep her safe. That motivation sounded very familiar to her now… Ruby Rose had so many protectors.

Nora took one final look at Jaune before stepping forward to listen to the tall redhead's explanation. Neo's hands were still on Jaune's chest and shoulder –in fact reaching over her own head- to keep him steady, but it seems his injury was no longer on anyone else's mind. Jaune glanced down at her and Neo abruptly retracted her hands, averting her gaze for a moment.

He was quiet for a moment, but Neo knew he was still looking at her. He might've been surprised by her concern… but then, Neo had been too.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw his despair slowly overcome his confusion. And she _really_ didn't want to see that again, considering the last time he'd revealed anything to her he'd made Neo empathize with him, and now she'd become… protective?

That was a familiar thought. The last time a man showed her kindness when Neo had been at her lowest she'd decided to devote herself to helping him, adopting him as kin in all but name. More even than that, the last time –the _only_ time- she'd felt such concern had been for one man, and only one man. She hadn't expected to ever feel it again.

And she didn't want to look at him when he was sad. She was feeling angry at the tall redhead, the thing that put that despair in his eyes… the partner he'd lost, the failure he carried with him.

If Neo saw Roman again she'd break down and rush to embrace him too. She'd show even less composure than Jaune had; she'd want to experience him with so many of her senses and confirm she had him back in every way she possibly could. The thought of Roman shrugging her off or ignoring her, let alone _lashing out_ at her like that…

Qrow and Raven emerged from wherever they'd gone to talk, both with weapons drawn, no doubt concerned by the loud noise caused by Jaune being flung into the wall. Qrow briefly glanced at Jaune, Neo, and the impact site before refocusing his attention on Pyrrha and Weiss just inside the doorway. He took a moment to look between Pyrrha and his hip flask, before leaning over to Raven and muttering: "You see that too, right?"

Raven nodded. "Friend of yours'?"

"Used to be," Qrow confirmed. "But she might've just been putting up with me 'cause Oz kept me around."

"Yeah, that sounds like a friend of yours'," Raven concurred.

Pyrrha turned to face the two. "I was just explaining to the others that I've come here for Ruby. When we lost her to Salem in our world we knew she'd captured the last silver-eyed warrior. We knew there was no other way to stop her."

"Uh, what?" Ruby interjected. "Last…?"

"When I heard there was a second Remnant, another world like our own, I thought I should try and prevent it from suffering the same fate," Pyrrha explained. "My friends were lost, my home was conquered by the White Fang… and all we could do was wait for Salem to push."

"Raven's filled me in on some of the details, but I think she got out before you did," Qrow told her. "How bad is it?"

Pyrrha turned her attention to the red-eyed woman at Qrow's side. "You're… not from this Remnant? You crossed over too?"

"When I attempted to use my Semblance to find my family," Raven explained. "They… either they were killed or Salem or Ozpin sealed them off from me with their magic. When I emerged, I ended up here in Anima, in the camp of a tribe I was born into."

"The bandits?" Weiss interjected. "Wait, _you're_ the one who captured me!"

"Weiss, trust me, it only gets weirder," Ruby assured her.

"Yeah, see that's my mom," Yang explained.

"Your _mom_ -?!" Before Weiss could even finish her thought-

"Yeah, but see in _her_ world she was _my_ mom, marrying our dad after I was born and my mom disappeared," Ruby explained.

"Wha- how does…" Weiss stopped herself, trying to process it all, before glancing at Pyrrha. "When you get a chance, please explain this so I don't have to piece together the gibberish these two give me."

"I've missed you," Ruby said, smiling fondly.

Pyrrha cleared her throat before turning her attention back to Raven and Qrow. "Beacon finally fell when Ja-" She stopped when she noticed the blonde still looking despondent nearby, "-when _the Fall Knight_ attacked. When Atlas pulled their military out and fell back, I knew we'd lost." She paused a moment. "Unless they were hit too, Atlas is all that's left. General Ironwood and Professor Goodwitch moved as many students as they could, but their machines were hit by a virus and turned against us. We lost a lot of people before they ordered a retreat."

She looked over at Ruby and Weiss. She was tempted to tell Ruby what happened, but reminded herself that Ruby would have a different recollection to her own. She wouldn't necessarily have a reason to care about a girl who may not have been her partner in this Remnant.

"You said we could defeat Salem," Ruby pointed out. "How? What does it have to do with me?"

"The silver-eyes are what she uses to control the Grimm, forcing them to obey her," Pyrrha explained. "You're the _last_ one, the last remaining silver-eyed warrior. Her current ones won't last forever, and when she exhausts them, she'll need a replacement. If she never catches you, she loses control over the horde. The Grimm go right back to being what they are: monsters outside anyone's control. Still a dangerous threat, but no longer one that can be marshaled and coordinated to attack us."

Qrow scratched his chin with his free hand, turning his attention to the dent Jaune had put in the wall. "So, I take it you know blondie… was he your teammate in your world too?"

"Yes," Pyrrha confirmed. "He was the leader of Team **JNPR** , consisting of myself, Jaune, Nora, and Ren."

"She doesn't know me but her team is _exactly_ the same?" Yang wondered. "What is up with that?"

"In a minute, Firecracker," Qrow assured her. "First… what's the deal with these 'knights'? How is it two guys ended up with powers that are only supposed to work in Maidens?"

Pyrrha glanced over at Jaune again. "There is… or at least there _was_ a machine that was developed by Atlas to draw the Aura of a wounded Maiden and put it into a new host. General Ironwood didn't explain it properly to me, but _somehow_ Professor Ozpin was able to use it to place the powers of a Maiden inside each of them. Apparently he already had some portion of the Fall Maiden's power to give to Jaune."

"What about the Spring Maiden?" Qrow pressed. "Who was it? Who did Ozpin use?"

Pyrrha knew there was someone else in the second pod, but her attention had been wholly on Ren. She'd been driven to avenge Nora, to understand why someone dear to her had fallen so far. "I don't know," Pyrrha admitted. "I got there too late."

Nora recognized the careful word choice. It seemed she was every bit as poor a liar in the other world as she'd been in the brief time Nora knew her in this one.

Qrow grimaced. "Yeah, figures. Guess it couldn't be that easy… we've been trying to find her for a while now. My sister –that is, my sister in, uh, _this_ side- had her somewhere and Leo was supposed to coordinate with us to find her."

"The camp I found Weiss in was under attack by someone," Pyrrha explained. "A scientist from Atlas named Watts and a woman in red who seemed to think I'd fought her before."

"Cinder," Weiss quickly clarified. "And Emerald and Mercury were with her too."

Neo focused her attention again. Cinder was nearby too. Her revenge –and Jaune's revenge, now that she thought of it- was closer than she expected it to be.

"Did she find the girl?" Qrow asked.

"They retreated," Pyrrha explained. "I think if there'd been another Maiden present she'd have been drawn out during the fighting."

"The bandits should've scattered by now," Qrow muttered. "The information I gave Leo is worthless-!" He reached down to find his Scroll. "I need to let him know. We need to regroup and think up a new plan **now**. If Salem's buddies are out looking for the Spring Maiden too, then this turned into a race."

"It always has been, brother," Raven reminded him. "But now that Salem's attention is elsewhere, we can focus on the Spring Knight before he-"

"He's here?" Pyrrha interjected. "Ren's on this side too?"

"They both are," Raven replied, jerking her thumb back at Jaune. "We managed to intercede in time to keep this one here."

Pyrrha seemed very unnerved. "I see…"

If they were both in this Remnant with her, that likely meant they'd come for her. Jaune certainly would follow after she'd frustrated him by escaping his clutches in Vale.

Who was the girl on his arm now? What had become of him in this world after the death of Pyrrha's opposite here?

Not what she should focus on. Ruby was the priority. Ruby was the key to their victory over Salem.

There'd be time to think on the smaller victories later.

* * *

 _Haven_

Leo looked down at the buzzing Scroll. He wasn't sure _why_ Qrow was calling, but Leo doubted it was good news. He was concerned about the missing Huntsmen, perhaps... a thought that made the headmaster feel guilty. Or he was wondering about what progress Leo had made with the Mistral council in acquiring resources for their mission… another thought that would only compound his guilt. Or maybe Qrow was reporting that _he'd_ found something that would help them, and Leo would have to feign being grateful for his help… and add to his guilt.

He'd missed two calls already. Whatever Qrow wanted, it was important, and Leo couldn't dodge him forever. No doubt he already suspected something after Leo's reluctance to go after the Spring Maiden when he first provided the coordinates, to say nothing of the long stretches of silence in the months prior to their meeting, including months Qrow had been on the continent an in range of the Haven tower CCT.

A gloved hand pressed down on his desk. "Answer him."

Lionheart wasn't at all pleased to be taking orders from Salem's latest visitor in his school, but he did as she instructed, disabling the Scroll's video conference function and answering the transmission audibly. "Hello?"

He listened to Qrow's warning: that Salem had sent her followers to Raven's camp and scattered the bandits. Lionheart had to pretend to be surprised. "What? How?"

The woman in red across his desk seemed amused by Lionheart's weak improvisation. "I'm… not sure what I can tell you-"

"Tell him you have the people he needs," Cinder harshly instructed. "Arrange a meeting outside the kingdom."

"I, uh," Lionheart covered the Scroll's receptor with one hand. "What?"

"Tell him to bring all his little friends and join the team you've assembled," Cinder commanded. "Tell him you'll organize a search to find the Maiden together."

"Why?" Lionheart mouthed.

"Because my disciples and our new friends will be there waiting for them," Cinder explained. "And after they've finished, you won't have Qrow Branwen bothering you with any more calls."

* * *

 _Mistral_

"Okay, Leo, I got it," Qrow agreed. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll let them know." He finished his call and turned his attention to the others. "Lionheart says he can get a search party organized in the morning. Apparently _now_ he's decided to be helpful."

"Convenient," Raven observed.

" _Too_ convenient," Qrow agreed. "We should give-" He was about to say a name, but stopped himself, quickly correcting before Pyrrha overheard, "-we should probably just send a few of us to scope it out. In case this is as fishy as it seems to be."

"Ruby should remain out of harm's way," Pyrrha insisted.

"Hey, there's no need to-" Ruby began, but stopped when her uncle raised a hand.

"No, she's right, kid," Qrow told her. "I'm not gonna tell you to stay out of the fight the whole time, but either Leo's up to something or this is just a scouting mission. Salem already knows you're here and she thinks you're traveling with me. We keep you out of her line of sight while she sends her little buddies on my tail instead… I think the redhead's onto something there."

"What about the rest of us, then?" Yang wondered. "Who is this guy Leo expecting to meet?"

Qrow considered his options, glancing back at Jaune. "He's seen Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Ruby. Could just take these two with me… not let him get wise to us."

"You're going out there with just those two for backup?" Raven asked.

"Well, unless you have someone else in mind…" Qrow murmured, before silencing himself when Raven's left hand took hold of his wrist.

"I'll keep watch. You'll probably get yourself killed if I take my eye off you," Raven assured him, before turning her attention to Nora. "But I want _that_ one to stay with Ruby. She's almost as protective as…"

She glanced at the blonde girl Yang. Raven hadn't even thought of asking the big sister to protect Ruby… mostly because the very notion of Ruby _having_ a big sister didn't stack in her mind. It still felt strange to look at her and try to understand how she came about. The girl Nora had been right there beside Jaune in protecting Ruby when Raven first appeared. "…as I would be," Raven finally finished.

Qrow massaged the back of his neck. "Leaves us a little understaffed… anybody else feel the need to get out of the house?"

Neo stepped over from Jaune and tapped Qrow in his side. He looked down at her, eyes immediately narrowing. "Hey, now… just because I believe you'll help us kill your old buddy Cinder _doesn't_ mean I want you around some Huntsmen who don't know your deal…"

"You'd rather she stay here with Ruby?" Raven asked him.

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Maybe if we knock her out or something…"

"Qrow," Jaune finally spoke again. "She's okay. She's not as bad as you think."

Neo turned back to look at him. It was preferable to glaring at Qrow, as the drunken Huntsman asked: "Oh, how'd you figure that one out?"

"She gave me some ice cream," Jaune replied. "I'm sure that wasn't easy for her to give up."

Neo couldn't quite prevent the smile that formed on her lips. It was a pretty bad joke, but it improved her mood immensely just the same.

Qrow sighed behind her. "Believe it or not, I've heard worse reasons. Fine, she can join us. Anyone else feel like tagging along?"

"If Nora's keeping an eye on Rubes, I'll come with," Yang offered. "I'm curious to see what happened to those bandits."

Qrow nodded. "Gives us enough people to hold the fort, I think… Leo told me morning outside the city walls."

"What about Oscar?" Ruby asked. Pyrrha and Weiss glanced around. The others seemed –if it was possible- even less certain what to think.

"He's…" Qrow began, casting another brief glance Pyrrha's way, "…not ready. Still just a kid, you know? Give him time."

"Well, then," Weiss noted, "If Yang's leaving us so soon, perhaps we should use this time to catch up."

"Oh, you'd better believe it!" Ruby agreed. "I sent Yang letters, but I didn't get a chance to tell you about the adventures of Team **RNJR**!"

"Team… what?" Weiss wondered.

Jaune discreetly moved to Nora, giving Pyrrha a wide berth. "I'll move my stuff out of the room and have her bunk with you tonight. She seems _a lot_ more comfortable with you."

"Jaune-" Nora began, before he raised a hand.

"It's okay," he assured her. "I'll take one of the spare rooms for tonight and give her space. I'm… I'm not sure what the deal is with this other Jaune, but I don't want to put her on edge. She'll talk about it when she's ready."

"Or she could talk _now_ and you don't have to," Nora tried.

"She's here for Ruby, not me," Jaune reminded her. "And there's no one I'd rather have protecting Ruby than her."

He shuffled off to the room he'd been sharing with Ren and Nora, collecting his stuff. Nora (and Neo, she realized) watched him disappear down the hall, the former frowning as she wondered what could lead to Pyrrha lashing out like that.

There'd be time to ask her while they were staying in the house keeping an eye on Ruby. Hopefully Nora could convince Pyrrha Jaune – _this_ Jaune, anyway- was someone Pyrrha had fallen in love with, and even if that _wasn't_ the case where she hailed from, still not someone she should be afraid of.

Nora did her best to be grateful to have her friend back… after a fashion. That there were kinks to be worked out was a only a mild hurdle to overcome if it meant having Pyrrha in her life again.

* * *

Neo wasn't sure how late Ruby Rose and her friends stayed up. She rested for a short time in a room by herself, and woke at some point hours later, suffering a brief bout of panic as she contemplated an unfamiliar ceiling over her head and a strange, far-too large bed beneath her. Once her mind composed itself and she recalled where she was and how she'd ended up there, Neo spent a few minutes trying to get back to sleep, to rest after a few too many long nights… but all she did was toss and turn in this stranger's room, and eventually she dragged herself up and went to a bathroom to clean herself.

She had nothing but the clothes on her back, her Scroll, and a few Lien cards. She didn't care to leave herself more vulnerable than she was already, but in the middle of the night with the dangerous people apparently asleep, Neo took the time to wash her clothes and shower, to feel clean again after a few days of travel and coming out the worse after battle with a Huntress and some of her friends. Maybe sleep would come easier when she didn't feel quite so out of sort.

Once she emerged Neo tried to sleep again: on the bed, in a chair, on the floor… no help. She went to the kitchen to find something sweet, but she'd already finished off the ice cream the previous day. Or rather, she'd let Jaune finish it.

Jaune…

Neo knew what helped her when she couldn't sleep before. She knew where she'd go when the night seemed particularly dark and cold and the world managed to frighten her.

He was staying in a room by himself, away from his teammates. Jaune didn't seem to have any more trouble sleeping than Roman had, but after the day he'd had Neo honestly expected him to be worse. Maybe he was used to being worn down. Or maybe the disappointment he'd felt after being attacked by the partner he'd thought lost had made being asleep seem a more appealing option than being awake.

Neo sat down at the foot of his bed, looking down at him. She ran her hand along his back, leaning down to listen to his heartbeat.

She'd gone weeks before she'd been courageous enough to walk into Roman's bedroom. Maybe Jaune scared her less. Maybe she was less worried he'd toss her out and leave her alone again… or maybe the fact Roman _hadn't_ the first time she curled up beside him uninvited had simply emboldened her.

Neo nestled her head to Jaune's back, counting each beat the way most people counted sheep. He wasn't Roman… he wasn't what she'd lost, but even after Jaune found what _he'd_ lost he hadn't simply left her. Maybe that was because of the unusual circumstances of Pyrrha's return, but Neo was content just the same.

Another man had found her lost and given her a place to stay and a bond she wanted to protect. For now, that was a far better reward than Ruby Rose's head.

For now…

When Neo woke again, she saw light filter in through the window and Qrow standing over the bed with her umbrella in hand. Jaune was still asleep… Neo wasn't sure he'd ever even realized she was there. The drunken Huntsman seemed amused, raising an eyebrow when he asked: "Pity?"

Neo glared at him, snatching her umbrella from his hand… and then immediately checking to see if she'd woken Jaune, sliding out from beside him before she risked doing so.

"I don't care what you two got up to," Qrow assured her, "I _really_ don't. I'm just putting some faith in you to get things right today… for blondie's sake, as well as yours'."

Neo glanced down at Jaune as he slept. Qrow observed, watching her eyes. "You care. Can't say I saw that one coming."

Neo rolled her eyes. There was no way he could understand… but then again, he wasn't _wrong_. She wouldn't have bothered to stay in the house had it not been for Jaune. She'd have run away and planned another attack on Ruby Rose instead…

Damn this boy.

* * *

 _Mistral, Outside the City Walls_

"Any word on who Branwen's bringing with him?" Emerald asked.

"We don't know for certain," Cinder admitted. " _Presumably_ he has Ruby and her friends from Beacon tagging along. And her you'll capture alive."

"And the anomaly, if she's found him as well," Lie interjected. "No one kills Raven Branwen."

"And what about the others?" Mercury asked. "What do we do with the old man and whatever Huntsmen he managed to find?"

"If it's necessary," Lie allowed. "So long as you remember the objective, I'll leave you to handle the others as you see fit."

"What if Pyrrha found her way there?" Emerald asked. "Or the Schnee?"

"Pyrrha's mine," Jaune replied. " _Her_ I want alive."

"This is gonna get complicated if we have to drag a bunch of people back with us," Mercury dryly observed.

"Only the ones our masters want," Lie assured him. "We strike quickly and capture who we need. Anyone else in our path, anyone who would deny our Queen's command… they were fools to begin with. The world is well rid of them."

* * *

"So," Yang observed as she marched alongside the others, "You gonna share where _you_ went the past six months? Ruby and Weiss told me some interesting stuff happened to them."

Neo didn't want to give her the satisfaction. She wasn't inclined to give Yang the time of day _at all_ , and she was already on edge after seeing Raven transform into a bird and fly over their heads. Unfortunately, with Jaune and Qrow marching in stoic silence, Yang seemed to think the best person to get a rise out of was the mute girl. She'd been just as bold the last time they crossed paths… Neo hoped Yang would've learned a lesson about taunting her after their last encounter.

But then again, Neo also hoped she'd improved since the last time. Presumably Raven and Qrow she wouldn't need to be concerned about, but Neo recalled Yang being brute strength and little else. She wasn't sure what to make of Jaune's combat prowess… the only advantage she could immediately discern from him was a higher-than-usual amount of Aura.

Still, he'd been unfortunately distant, and not at an ideal time. Neo didn't trust the other three, nor did she particularly _like_ these erstwhile allies… but if she was stuck alone in a house with Ruby Rose she'd almost certainly be tempted to kill her. And if she was going to be out doing busywork for these people, at least she'd be out with Jaune.

Qrow was out ahead of them, periodically stopping to check his Scroll. They were getting further from civilization, stepping out to forest and hills, eventually winding up in a clearing nearly two miles from their starting point.

Yang glanced around. "Are we early?"

"A bit," Qrow confirmed, "But something tells me it wouldn't have made a difference." He put his Scroll away and reached to the hilt of Harbinger… only for a length of chain to emerge from the treeline and ensnare his wrist, dragging his arm to the dirt and away from his blade.

Neo drew her blade from her umbrella, instantly on her guard. Yang readied the gauntlet on her left arm and Jaune drew his sword, the three scouring for signs of an adversary.

"Well, isn't _that_ interesting…"

Neo glanced over at the boy beside her. That was _Jaune's_ voice. But he _hadn't_ spoken: the voice came from somewhere else.

Then she saw it emerge from the woods, shining brightly like the sun far over their heads. Neo had to squint to see it, what appeared at first glance to be a mere blob of yellow-white light. As it drew nearer she saw a figure standing within it, tall and lanky, not unlike…

"No way," Yang whispered, slowly lowering her arms as Qrow continued to struggle with the chain on his wrist.

"Well now, aren't _you_ a pretty one?" he asked. "You didn't mention _she_ 'd be here…" But then his head turned towards Jaune. "But first things first, I think."

Jaune just stared at the man standing before him. "How…?"

A second Jaune Arc drew nearer, becoming clearer within the cloud of Aura with every step he took. "I'm not sure myself. So you're still working with these losers?"

The second Jaune unsheathed Crocea Mors from within its shield, his weapon unmodified –not carrying the tiara now emblazoned on Jaune's family heirloom as a new emblem-but no less imposing. "Where's your little buddy Ruby?"

Jaune narrowed his eyes. "And why would I tell you?"

"Heh, all right, fair enough," Jaune agreed. "Where's _Raven Branwen_? She doesn't belong here, you know…"

"What do you care?" Yang asked. "What do you want them for?"

"Oh, _feisty_ ," Jaune noted, grinning broadly at Yang. "I think I may like it here more than I thought…" He then turned his attention to Neo, his grin quickly evaporating. "…or maybe not."

He looked the same, but he was _not_ the Jaune she knew. Neo would be only too happy to skewer him.

Qrow finally managed to get his wrist free and reached to his back to find his sword again, only for someone to attack him from behind, delivering some powerful feet into the small of his back. Qrow grunted and tumbled along the dirt, whirling around to find a silver-haired boy standing where he'd been, looking pleased with his handiwork. He turned his eye to the other three, smirking. "Oh, hey, Neo. You joined up with these losers?"

"Mercury!" Yang realized, eyes turning red at the sight.

"Oh, hey, blondie, ya miss me?" Mercury asked. "Be careful around _this one_ , guys… she's the kind who'll break your heart. Or maybe your _legs_ … she's not very choosy."

Yang leveled her left hand and fired a concussion burst at him. Mercury smirked as the attack appeared to pass right through him.

"What?" Yang gasped, before quickly realizing: "Emerald!"

The green-haired thief struck Yang from behind with her kama, ensnaring the blonde bruiser in metal chain and driving her into the dirt. The illusion she'd cast of Mercury vanished, and the real one stepped back into the fray, apparently having retreated to the tree line after landing his first strike on Qrow. Mercury went for the downed Huntsman, and Jaune moved in his path, only for Mercury to kick him aside with contemptuous ease.

The other Jaune watched his counterpart hit the dirt. "Huh. Guess someone should go back to school…"

"Ruby's not here," Emerald pointed out, struggling to hold a thrashing Yang in her chain. "What now?"

The other Jaune turned his attention to Qrow, who'd finally managed to draw Harbinger. "Kill the ones we don't need. Maybe let he girls live… I'd really like to take my time with them."

"Disgusting," Emerald spat.

Neo glanced between them. Her former allies and a less-than-likeable Jaune doppelganger… she wasn't sure where to turn her blade. Or if it'd be wiser not to bother.

"Don't just stand there!" Yang snapped at her. "Help us!"

The sensible course would be to retreat; to fall back and call for reinforcements and let Raven intercede instead. Roman would tell her to run, to survive, to fight another day. But seeing Jaune in the dirt with Mercury standing over him…

Neo'd seen one person she'd grown attached to vanish from her life already. It wasn't an experience she'd _ever_ allow herself to repeat.

She dashed in. Mercury raised his leg, clashing his metal shin against her thin blade. "So, you really _are_ working with the Beacon kids? I knew you were crazy, Neo… didn't know you were _dumb_. Cinder always thought you were clever…"

Just mentioning her name infuriated Neo. Just _thinking_ about Cinder set her off. She withdrew and struck rapidly, one thrust after another. Mercury was fast, but he couldn't block every poke, and Neo scratched his Aura.

Jaune dragged himself up and moved beside Qrow as they faced off against his more Aura-smothered counterpart. The other Jaune moved in, clashing blades with Qrow, then immediately following up with a bash of his shield to the older Huntsman's face. Jaune tried to intercede again, only for his doppelganger to sweep one leg and take Jaune's legs out from under him, knocking him into the dirt again.

A bird flapped down from the treetops. A woman emerged mid-dive, aiming for this second Jaune battling her brother, reaching with her off-hand for her sword…

…when a flash of green moved out to meet her, a dagger aimed for her neck. Raven couldn't finish unsheathing her blade in time, and had to block the strike with armor on her shoulder, her Aura taking a wound before she could properly enter the fray.

She met his pink eyes as they descended. She took note of the scar running down his nose… a scar _she_ gave him.

"I've been looking forward to this," the Spring Knight told her. "This time you will not escape."

"I was about to tell you the same," Raven assured him, shrugging off the hit and drawing back in midair, completing her draw and leveling her sword at her foe when she landed.

Lie observed Raven holding her sword in her left arm. "Seems you came off the worse, anomaly."

The pain in Raven's right arm reminded her how their last encounter went. "Then I suppose I owe you."

They clashed again, dashing about the clearing. Yang continued to thrash in her bindings, eventually freeing her new right hand and taking hold of the metal chain, pulling with considerable force and dragging Emerald to the ground. Without a firm grip on her kama, the weapon slipped from Emerald's hand and Yang wiggled her way out. She fired a shot from Ember Celica at the ground where Emerald fell, only to watch her attack pass through empty air and impact on the dirt.

Yang quickly whirled her fist around and fired at her back, pushing herself away, narrowly avoiding an attack from Emerald at her unguarded flank. Yang put some distance between them, but Emerald only used the opportunity to recover her weapon and compose herself. She couldn't fire at range with Qrow, Raven, and Jaune (and Neo) bunched together with her adversaries, so all Yang could do was move back to close range, even knowing her enemy could play head games.

Jaune dragged himself up again and turned his attention away from his counterpart, staggering over and dashing into Mercury's back. Neo quickly disengaged and let Jaune use some brute force in striking her foe, sending the silver-haired boy tumbling past her and into the dirt. Neo ran forward, springboarding off Jaune's back with one hand and kicking Mercury back down before he could finish dragging himself up. She turned her attention to the other Jaune, who was receiving hit after hit from Qrow's heavy longsword, but whose Aura never once seemed affected.

Neo moved in to help the older Huntsman, attacking the other Jaune at his back with rapid stab after rapid stab. Jaune joined her, slashing wildly at the Aura around him. Neo tried to coordinate with his swings, stabbing in the same vicinity to try and break the barrier.

The other Jaune ignored them, drawing in close and bashing Qrow with his skull and his fiery Aura. When Qrow fell back, momentarily stunned, the other Jaune turned to face them, reaching out and taking hold of his counterpart's throat, squeezing his neck with his bare hand.

Jaune dropped his sword and tried to scratch his doppelganger's fingers, wrenching to get free. The other Jaune merely scoffed: "Weak."

He tossed Jaune back into the dirt, the blonde hacking and coughing. He then fixed his attention on Neo, who stood ready with blade in hand. "And as for you… well, it's a shame your old buddy Roman had to go and cause so much trouble for me… I was _really_ looking forward to punishing you for it."

He knew Roman? On his side?

On the other Remnant Roman was still alive?

The thought would have to wait. This other Jaune slashed at her. Neo barely managed to block the hit with her thin blade, nearly knocked over from the sheer force of his strike. This other Jaune pressed his advantage, each blow knocking off a bit of Neo's Aura. She tried to get to her feet and retreat, she used her Semblance to create an illusion… but this second Jaune instantly shattered it with just a touch of his Aura, discovering Neo again.

Jaune was lifting up at his doppelganger's back. If she could just hold out for a few more seconds…

His sword struck again. She felt her Aura shatter, dissipating along the surface of her body. Jaune rushed towards his counterpart's back, hoping to at least knock him off-balance…

He was rushing to help her now even though he was clearly outmatched. He was going to help her get revenge on Cinder.

He was about to…

Neo felt something cold. She tasted metal in the back of her mouth.

She looked down at the sword in her midsection, just above her hip. She was having some trouble breathing…

Jaune –the other Jaune, the Jaune covered in blinding Aura- leaned in close to whisper to her: "Thanks. I really needed that."

She felt him pull his blade back. Blood splattered on her coat.

Jaune skidded to a halt, unable to carry out his surprise attack. He just watched as Neo looked down at the bloody hole left in her stomach, reaching a trembling hand towards the wound.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the blonde she'd fought on the train, looking on in shock... hadn't Neo been fighting for Roman then? How odd it was they ended up cooperating in this fight. How strange life was to lead them to this moment.

 **Survive, kid.**

Roman… she still owed him revenge… still owed him for saving her life…

Jaune... she had to keep him safe now, he was outmatched here, he needed her help.

Still had to…

Neo fell back, lying still in the dirt.


	11. She Died a Warrior

**Chapter Eleven: She Died a Warrior**

* * *

 _The Past of Two Remnants_

She wasn't sure how she'd ended up there. She remembered air rushing past her; hearing an engine roar over her head. She fell for a long time and crashed into something, felt sharp pains in her head and neck, her back and her legs…

Then ignored that pain and whatever was over head as she ran through thick forests with Grimm at her back. She had to get… somewhere, had to find…

She remembered how to use her blade. She knew she could defeat the younger ones with it. She didn't forget which she should fight and which she should flee from. She knew how to run, how to navigate the tight enclosure and carefully ration her Aura to aid in her escape. She knew _how_ to fight or flee, but not _why_ she should… why was she being attacked by Grimm? Why had she fallen out of the sky? Why did she expect anyone to be there to help her?

For hours she ran, slowly exhausting herself as she stayed barely ahead of untiring, unyielding monsters. She had a vague sense civilization –or at least shelter- existed in the direction she ran, but couldn't process how she'd reached that conclusion. It was difficult to think much past the next step, even when she was far enough ahead of the pack to rest a few moments and think on where to go.

Family? Friends? A house? She had a vague, cloudy recollection of sharing space with three others and a warm bed to sleep in, but she couldn't recognize any features or recall any names. It gave her a headache trying to picture it more clearly… maybe once she had somewhere to rest and properly recuperate from her wounds she could piece it all together.

The Grimm were close now. She kept moving, searching for city lights, for stone walls, for _anything_ that could give her respite from the monsters chasing her in this dark wood. She was all but broken down when she found her reprieve, scratching and clawing her tiny body over high city walls with Grimm mere seconds behind her. She tumbled over the side while automated defenses repelled the Grimm buying her safety for a moment.

But safety to go where? And do what? She had a faint idea this city she'd retreated to –that her homing instincts led her to- had places she could stay, but she also thought to remain within it would require resources: money in particular.

So much to remember, and it was difficult for her to focus. There were too many vague and unfinished thoughts in her head now, too many questions going unanswered. She survived the moment: what happened after that? Where could she go to find food, water, a roof over her head? What about those people she saw and the recollection of a comfortable bed?

Now that she was out of immediate danger she was more lost than ever. At least when she was running she'd had a clear objective and her thoughts were focused. Now all she could do was dwell on pain… pain of her wounds, pain in her mind when she tried to remember how she got where she was.

Trying to hold the vague and muddled memories only brought her pain. And she couldn't piece them together in a coherent enough vision to know where to go or who she'd find. Now that she'd arrived she had no idea where she should go next.

She needed something to focus her thoughts on. She needed a _constant_.

And at Beacon, after hearing of how Team CFYN's unsupervised away mission had led to the disappearance of a first year student, Ozpin had no choice but to add to the list of another lost under his charge. He officially listed the girl Neopolitan as 'Missing in Action' rather than 'Killed in Action', but her teammates –Coco Adel, Fox Alistair, and Yatsuhashi Daichi- were not optimistic. They knew the job they'd signed up for, and the risks… no matter how much it hurt to realize a friend was lost forever.

Ozpin didn't have the luxury of mourning. It was just the latest loss. Not the first… and not the last… another piece moved off the board.

* * *

 _Mistral, Today_

Jaune rushed immediately to Neo's side, pressing his hand down on the wound in her midsection. His other self looked on from nearby, looking quite pleased with himself from what of his face Jaune could see through his ever-present Aura. Jaune did his best not to be bothered by the smug grin and focused on the wound, on the blood falling down Neo's side and dribbling down her chin.

Qrow intervened then, attacking the other Jaune while he was distracted admiring his handiwork. A few slashes from Harbinger cut a brief gash in the Fall Knight's Aura, but the tear almost instantly resealed itself. It got the other Jaune's attention, however, and he resumed fighting the older huntsman, leaving Jaune to struggle to help Neo as he knew her time leaked away.

"Stay with me," Jaune insisted. "Hang in there, okay? We'll… get you… some help…"

He heard blades clash nearby as Raven and the Spring Knight danced around Jaune and Neo on the ground, continuing their duel. Ren was carrying their first aid supplies –to avert ever being caught off guard after their fight with Tyrian- and kept them in his pack. They'd left it back at the house… and Ren wasn't there to improvise a solution with bandages or rope, because he'd been replaced by this man battling against Raven.

Just as Jaune would've been replaced by this man who'd so callously attack Neo and take such terrifying _pleasure_ in the act…

Yang had managed to fight her way past Emerald and moved to help whoever was still up, only for Mercury –no longer by Neo keeping him on the floor- to intercede and clash his metal leg against her new prosthetic arm, using Yang's own momentum to push the blonde off course and isolate her from her remaining allies.

"Emerald, help the jerk with an Aura and take out Qrow," Mercury instructed. "I'll take care of blondie here… I want to correct any misconceptions she has about how our last fight went."

Emerald didn't seem happy to be ordered around, but complied with Mercury's request, dashing past Jaune and Neo to attack Qrow. Faced with her illusions Qrow began wildly slashing at empty air, allowing Emerald to attack him at range and let the other Jaune bear the brunt of Qrow's offense.

Yang glanced at Jaune and Neo one final time before devoting all her attention to Mercury. "You really shouldn't have sent her away."

"I just don't want there to be any excuses," Mercury clarified. "No rules, no arena, no audience; no one but you and me. Prove you're a better fighter than me."

Yang pounded her fists together, tempted to unleash her anger… but stopped herself, carefully measuring her Aura and counting the number of pellets left in her gauntlet. Yang buried all her rage under cold focus when she replied: "Gladly."

Steel leg met prosthetic fist as Mercury and Yang clashed, locking their gaze and preparing to settle their lingering grudge.

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

The prior evening hadn't given Nora much chance to reconnect with Pyrrha. Jaune gave them the room and Nora thought she'd use the opportunity to talk… but she was spoiled for choice on matters to talk about and ended up paralyzed by indecision. Why had she lashed out when Jaune tried to hug her? What became of the other Nora in this alternate Remnant?

That last question left her particularly concerned, and she kept coming back to Ren and how he ended up on the other side to make room for an –apparently- far worse version. But lying on the ground just a few feet from her, _knowing_ Pyrrha was lying awake and worrying about one of the many problems facing them, Nora never managed to ask. She didn't want to put her friend on the defensive or push too far too quickly. She wanted to show Pyrrha she was safe and surrounded by friends again, and that she shouldn't be afraid to have Jaune in proximity again. Maybe having Nora near and ready to hug her at a moment's notice would help set her mind at ease.

Eventually Pyrrha found sleep, though Nora was less fortunate. She knew she was tired -and she _did_ spend several hours resting, which helped mitigate that- but without Ren nearby Nora did not feel comfortable at all. When Ren was at her side, Nora had no trouble sleeping on hard soil in winter cold. Without him, she had far more difficulty sleeping in a well-insulated house. Having Pyrrha and Jaune both nearby should've mitigated that… instead all Nora did was worry about trying to get those two to reconcile differences she didn't fully understand and try to envision keeping peace amongst her best friends _without_ Ren there to help.

When morning rolled around Pyrrha was quick to fix her attention on Ruby. Ruby pretended she was flattered by the attention, modestly deflecting Pyrrha's inquiries… but Nora had gained some insight into the silver-eyed girl the past few months, and even more in the past days since one visitor after another dropped in to see her. Ruby knew she was special, but certainly wasn't eager to be treated as such. Raven and Pyrrha's efforts to protect Ruby vexed her, and she was eager to shift focus away from herself. Jaune convincing Neo not to kill her certainly helped her relax a little after the assassination attempt, but that Neo had crossed half the world just to kill her had certainly made Ruby wary, even on edge.

And Salem… and her mother…

There was good reason to keep Ruby safe, and Nora had every intention of doing the same. But Ruby wanted to be a Huntress and be out in the thick of battle, not hiding away in a house worrying about her uncle and her sister and her best friend. And Pyrrha was adamant about Ruby being there, and Raven was adamant about Nora being there to protect her. So they waited, with a few exchanges of small talk and long stretches of uncomfortable silence. Weiss, ever the sociable one, was constantly trying to engage the other girls, but she had to be brought up to speed on so much that happened without her she spent a lot of the conversation playing catch up.

Nora wasn't sure there'd be a _good_ time to broach the subject, but as long as they were stuck inside and not devoting their efforts to training… "So, what's the deal with you and Jaune?" Nora asked, pointing at the impact site she'd left in the wall. "I know things are different where you come from, but here we're kinda attached to him."

It was much more blunt than Nora would normally have been when discussing this with Pyrrha. But then, to Nora's recollection Pyrrha spent months dancing around her feelings without acting on them until right before they lost her. Maybe Pyrrha didn't fall for Jaune in the other Remnant, but it'd be strange to think she didn't sense his sincerity in this one.

Ruby coughed awkwardly; no doubt she'd had the same question. Weiss rolled her eyes… only to quickly focus them on Pyrrha, waiting intently for an answer.

"I'm sorry that I acted like that," Pyrrha sighed. "I know he meant well. It's just… I've fought him many times now. He left me at Beacon when he and Ren went to join Salem in her castle. Then a few months later they started attacking."

"Attacking where?" Weiss interjected. "Because… well, some of this is difficult to keep straight."

"Beacon," Pyrrha clarified. "After we recovered the Relic of Choice from Professor Ozpin, Salem's forces kept trying to steal it back from us. The Fall Knight –Jaune- was usually leading the Grimm from the front, letting them chase his Aura to whatever target he wanted to strike."

"How did that ever happen to him?" Ruby asked. "How could _anyone_ –let alone _Jaune_ \- end up like that?"

"Ozpin found him sometime before the end of our first semester," Pyrrha explained, "And I don't know what he did, what he promised him or how he twisted Jaune's mind, but he wasn't the boy I met during initiation anymore."

"That's strange," Ruby thought, "Cause he's… I mean he's become a better fighter than he was, but he's still the same dork he's always been for us."

"You trained with him every week to help him improve," Nora explained. She hesitated a bit before proceeding with her next thought –wondering if it was indeed hers' to share- but felt Pyrrha should hear it: "He still trains to a video you left for him on his Scroll to keep up the regimen."

Pyrrha remembered making the offer, eagerly proclaiming her wish to help him… and how he harshly rebuked her. After that it didn't matter his lack of technique, because he relied on raw power and Ozpin's favor. "I'm afraid that never happened for us."

Nora thought it might help if she could see the recording, or maybe a few pictures. Nora had a few on her Scroll, but Ren had been the one who organized their collected memories of Team JNPR, bringing order to Nora's haphazard collection. One more thing lost when it might've helped…

But Nora still had the dance saved there, images provided by her friends and various other onlookers who saw Jaune walk into the ballroom in a dress and offer Pyrrha his hand. Seeing that, surely Pyrrha would realize…

It'd be too much to drop on her right away. Whatever friendship they had in the other Remnant had been shattered, and if Nora rushed too quickly to try and repair it she might make Pyrrha suspicious or even apprehensive. "And what about Ruby? If Jaune was after the relic and Ren was after Raven, where does she come in?"

"I didn't know her well," Pyrrha admitted, glancing over at Ruby. "Team PRWV weren't situated near us in the dorm and I only really saw her during class."

"PRWV?" Weiss repeated.

" **P** enny Polendina, **R** uby Rose, **W** eiss Schnee, and **V** elvet Scarlatina," Pyrrha answered.

"Penny was at Beacon in your world?" Ruby gasped. "How did that happen?"

"I found out much later," Pyrrha explained, "that General Ironwood realized what Professor Ozpin was up to and sent an agent, and assigned her to the same team as the heiress of the SDC."

"That's… odd," was the most cogent reply Weiss had.

"And we were still on the same team!" Ruby realized, wrapping an arm over Weiss's shoulder. "BFFs in every reality!"

"Except this one," Weiss dryly remarked, but the fond look in her eyes upon noting Ruby's embrace made it clear her insults didn't have the bite they once did.

"So what did happen to me?" Ruby wondered. "Why was Raven so worried about Re- about the Spring Knight finding me?"

"Ren tried to capture you before he left Beacon," Pyrrha explained. "I don't know when or where; when I'd rejoined the fight you were already gone. General Ironwood insisted you were somewhere safe away from the fight."

"Seems like a popular idea lately," Ruby grumbled.

Before Nora could ask another question, her Scroll started beeping at her: Jaune was calling. Were they still close enough to send a clear signal? Nora flipped on the video call function… only to see her teammate frantically mugging for the camera, the sounds of gunfire and clashing metal roaring around him.

"Nora!" Jaune frantically called, "Thing was a trap! The other Jaune, the other Ren- they're _here_!"

Pyrrha tensed up immediately. Metal in the couches and chairs audibly rent nearby.

"What's happening, Jaune, where are you?!" Nora frantically asked, already climbing up and rushing to grab her hammer.

"We never even left the meeting site!" Jaune shouted, pressing his free hand somewhere off-screen. "Neo's hurt bad, and Qrow and Raven and Yang have their hands full. We need help, Nora… I'm just lucky they've been leaving me alone…"

"We'll try and get to you," Ruby assured him, shouting over to Nora's Scroll as she hastened a collapsed Crescent Rose to her hip. "Just hang on, Jaune…"

Weiss was a bit less eager to rejoin the fray but went to gather her rapier just the same. The three headed for the door… only for Ruby to abruptly freeze in place and be dragged backwards, her shoes skidding along the wooden floor as a magnetic pull drew her back, pulling her by the sniper rifle she'd strapped on.

Weiss and Nora turned around to glance at Pyrrha, extending her right hand and drawing Ruby back. "You two can go ahead," she explained, "But Ruby won't be joining you."

Ruby whipped her head around. "Pyrrha, let me go! Our friends are in trouble and they need-"

" _You_ need to stay safe," Pyrrha interjected. " _And you will_."

Ruby, Nora, and Weiss exchanged glances as Pyrrha drew the silver-eyed girl back. Then all three fixed their attention on Pyrrha. The tall redhead narrowed her eyes at them. "Or… is there some problem with that?"

* * *

 _Mistral, the Clearing_

"Nora? Hello?" Jaune asked, but couldn't make out what was happening on the other side of the conversation. He felt a bit more blood leak through the fingers on his other hand and abandoned the call, pressing both hands to Neo's wound again and applying as much pressure as he could. She was getting fainter… he could barely feel her heart beating at all, and her eyes were glazed over and unfocused. "Stay with me, Neo- the others will get here and help us. We'll get you out of this…!"

He heard an impact behind him. Jaune glanced over his left shoulder and saw Qrow crash face first into the dirt a few feet away. The other Jaune stomped hard on the older Huntsman's back, pinning him to the ground. "Oh, _will_ you? Managed to call your friends?"

"What's it to you?" Jaune snapped back.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," the other Jaune mused, "But they won't be able to help her. Your little buddy Ren might've been able to patch her up, maybe the anomaly could… but they're a bit busy at the moment, aren't they? So even if she _doesn't_ bleed out by the time your friends get here, no one will be able to actually help her when they arrive." He stepped off Qrow's back and kicked the older Huntsman in the side with the back of his heel on the way down. "But _I_ can."

"Why would you even-"

"I get that you're a little slow," the Fall Knight interrupted, pointing down at Neo, "But she _really_ doesn't have the time to waste. So what do you say? You want her to live, right?"

Jaune turned his head so as not to glare over his shoulder. But looking down at the blood still seeping past his fingers, Jaune reluctantly admitted: "Yes."

"Well, then, how about a _quid pro quo_?" the Fall Knight asked, crouching beside Jaune and putting one arm over his doppelganger's shoulder. "I'll fix her up for you… if you'll tell me where your pal Ruby Rose is. She's not here, so she's being kept somewhere safe, right?"

Jaune narrowed his eyes. "If you think I'm-"

"Think carefully now," the Fall Knight warned. "I get that she's your friend, but you _really_ need to decide how much she's worth."

Jaune looked down at Neo. Her eyes were lidded, her breathing was ragged… but very, _very_ shallow. Her skin was feeling colder beneath his fingers…

He saw Yang and Mercury still fighting out of the corner of his eye. He heard Raven cry out somewhere on his right as she and the Spring Knight clashed again. Ruby's sister, her uncle, the woman who thought of herself as Ruby's mother… he'd be a fool to speak up. And not worthy of calling himself her friend that he'd even consider it. He wouldn't trade one friend's life for another's.

"Not happening," Jaune assured him.

The Fall Knight shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm sure she's _thrilled_ to hear that you won't give up the silver-eyed girl to save her life…" He stood up, leaving Jaune's side and turning his attention back to Qrow, kicking his opponent while he remained down. "Bet that makes it clear to her just how special she is…"

Jaune closed his eyes, trying to resist the urge to stand up and punch this alternate version of himself. Neo didn't have long, and his hand applying pressure to her wound was buying her more time.

He could hear cries of pain from his three allies still fighting. He had to hope Nora could rally the others… that they could scramble reinforcements in time…

* * *

Mercury was even faster than Yang remembered. She suspected he'd been holding back during their fight in the Vytal Festival, but this time he wasn't even toying with her: he was just working around her offense and hitting her with a kick or a concussion burst on an unprotected flank. Yang was keeping it together and holding her anger back, but she wasn't finding an opening to counter his relentless offense.

Qrow was having a rough time with Emerald and the glowing Jaune. Raven and the scarred Ren were a bit more evenly matched, but that still left them outnumbered and outmatched. At best they might win _one_ of their fights.

Yang could only take so many more hits before Mercury worked through her Aura. Her attempts to hit him at close and mid-range had been fruitless; he was right- he _was_ better than her.

Yang tried not to let that thought bother her. When she became frustrated she got angry and lashed out. Mercury –and Neo, now that she thought about it- both capitalized on that and punished her when she overextended. Training with her Dad reminded Yang the importance of not letting her emotion get the better of her, to get angry when she had the chance to land a finishing blow. She was nowhere near that stage with Mercury; he was dancing circles around her.

However, he also _knew_ that- he knew he had her beaten and was methodically wearing her down. He wasn't showing off, but he was careful. If he thought Yang wasn't being as tactical, if he thought she'd give in to her anger as she had before, then maybe she could find an opening to help.

Yang started firing wildly from Ember Celica, even giving a big shout of genuine frustration as she fired one concussion burst after another. Mercury easily dodged her attack, but Yang tried to follow after him, firing wildly… right over Jaune's head and into the _other_ Jaune's back, drawing his attention before he could stomp Qrow's back again. Qrow saw his chance and scampered quickly away, dashing up to his feet and recovering his Aura before the Fall Knight wore it down.

Yang wasn't going to win her fight with Mercury, but with a bit of careful misdirection and timing, maybe her side could mount a comeback… and if Qrow or Raven were knocked out of the fight, they'd lose their chance.

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

Nora had never even _considered_ drawing her hammer to face off against Pyrrha. Even when they sparred and trained together it felt strange to bring out her weapon. Seeing Ruby pulled along in the taller redhead's grip, however…

"Pyrrha," Nora breathed, "Let her go."

"I'm here to keep her safe," Pyrrha reminded her friends. "That is my priority. _How_ is she safe if we send her into what we already know to be a trap?"

"Let me go!" Ruby insisted. "Pyrrha, I… I'm sure you're trying to help, but out friends are in danger. You _know_ I can't just leave them!"

"I _do not_ know you, Ruby," Pyrrha replied. "But I know your life matters more to Salem than your friends' will. She is _trying_ to draw you into the open, and you're taking her bait."

"Jaune said it was the ones from your side," Nora reminded her.

"Agents of Salem just the same," Pyrrha answered. "What difference does it make which is trying to capture her?"

Nora pushed the front door open and discreetly motioned at Ruby. Ruby quickly gleamed to her intention, and though she wasn't so certain about the plan ahead –given what she'd give up to go- Ruby was ready to go along.

"I have to help them!" Ruby argued. "It's not just Jaune and Raven out there, Pyrrha! Yang and Qrow… my _family_!"

"They insisted you stay too," Pyrrha reminded her. "They would agree with keeping you protected."

Ruby couldn't deny that was probably true, but she wasn't going to let go. She gestured to Weiss to go, and though not eager about the standoff left behind, Weiss made her way out the door with Myrtenaster in hand.

"Pyrrha," Nora asked again. "Please."

"This is bigger than us," Pyrrha replied.

Ruby crouched down to a starting position. Pyrrha probably thought she was trying to drag herself away along the floor, until Ruby's hand reached to unclasp Crimson Rose from her hip. The rifle flew to Pyrrha's hand and Ruby activated her Semblance, making a break for the door.

Pyrrha reached out again and Nora moved between her and Ruby, allowing the ferrous metal of Magnhild to be drawn to Pyrrha's hand, and her along with it. Ruby made it out the door and headed at once to help those in danger, even unarmed.

Pyrrha glared at Nora, now in very close proximity with her old teammate. "What have you done?"

"What I needed to," Nora confidently replied. "You need to get that we _all_ want to keep Ruby safe, but we're _not_ keeping her locked in this house so she can let someone go out and die for her."

"People have died already," Pyrrha harshly reminded her. "You-"

Nora's big blue eyes met her. Pyrrha found it very hard to stay mad.

But Ruby was essential to…

Pyrrha sighed and relaxed her grip, Magnhild resting comfortably in Nora's hand again and Crescent Rose clattering to the floor. "Well, since you've let her out, I really don't have much choice _but_ to help her now that she's gone… and fight off whoever would do her harm."

"Funny," Nora thought, "I had the same idea."

* * *

 _Mistral, the Clearing_

Raven was burning through Dust blades quickly –far too quickly- and the Spring Knight knew it. He was using his powers very carefully, heating the tip of his knife to cut through Ice Dust and pouring cold from his hand to nullify the advantage of Fire Dust. Raven's blades were constantly breaking against his old knife, just because he applied the right mix of hot and cold at the right time to counteract her. Combined with subtle gusts of wind from his free hand to throw Raven off balance or interfere with the arc of her swing, and dodging her more errant swings from her off-hand, the Spring Knight was gradually wearing her down.

Nearby, Qrow received another blow from the Fall Knight to his back. She saw his Aura flicker, and then a few shots from the green-haired girl in the vulnerable spot removed it completely, giving the Fall Knight a clear spot to bull rush and drive Qrow into the dirt. On her other side she heard Yang cry out as she was struck by another powerful kick from the silver-haired boy, landing hard in the dirt with her Aura washing over her for a moment and vanishing, leaving her completely exposed.

The Spring Knight saw Raven's attention was elsewhere and capitalized, slashing rapidly with his knife. Raven defended herself as best she could, reacting instinctively and drawing another Dust blade from her scabbard. She managed to deflect a few of his attacks, but he shattered this blade too and cut across her wounded arm. A kick to her midsection sent Raven tumbling back beside her twin, her own Aura flickering dangerously as she struggled to rebuild her barrier.

Their four enemies regrouped. Raven struggled to get to her feet, only for the Fall Knight to kick her back down, knocking off what little remained of her barrier. His own Aura continued to encircle him, bearing no visible sign they'd broken through his defenses at all.

"Well, that was fun," the Fall Knight noted.

"Which ones do we need alive again?" Mercury asked, watching Raven and Qrow carefully.

"The anomaly," Lie insisted, pointing at Raven. "Kill the others if you like."

"Spare the blonde," Jaune requested. "She's got plenty of spirit…"

Emerald rolled her eyes again. Mercury seemed more amenable, raising his leg. "Well you don't have to tell me twice to kill Qrow Branwen…"

Raven glanced over at her brother, still lying in the dirt after the Fall Knight's last attack. She tried to reach out with her right arm, fighting through the pain to try and take hold of his hand before the attack reached him.

Another hand found her left. Raven whirled around and saw Yang try to take hold of her, squeezing tightly with her prosthetic arm.

It didn't sound like the end for either of them… but death seemed preferable to what Salem's knights had in mind for them. Raven squeezed Yang's artificial hand, trying to offer the girl _some_ solace as defeat fell upon them.

Then a red blur rushed through the forest and crashed into Mercury with two extended feet, knocking all the wind out of the silver-haired boy and sending him tumbling into the dirt. Raven, Yang, and Qrow all looked up as Ruby quickly scrambled to climb off the boy she'd knocked over and faced down the other three, taking a moment to gasp at the sight of another Jaune and Ren before her.

"Ruby Rose too?" the Spring Knight inquired.

"And here I was thinking we'd have to make two trips," the Fall Knight agreed, smiling broadly.

Raven tried to process why Ruby had left the safety of the house, but quickly buried any anger and frustration. She didn't care she was wounded; now her child was in danger and there was no other priority but defending her. "Ruby, get out of here! Don't let them near you!"

Raven forced herself to stand and reached for her sword, clashing with the Fall Knight. Yang and Qrow did the same, finding whatever strength they could to pick themselves up and defend Ruby, whether there was a second wind to power them or not.

Yang focused her fire on the Spring Knight, unloading what rounds were left in her gauntlet. Qrow moved to slash at the Fall Knight's flank, hitting the other Jaune with a two pronged attack.

The Fall Knight grunted, his good humor vanishing entirely. "Well, then… I mean, I was going to kill you anyway, Qrow…"

Emerald moved to join the fray, only to stop when she saw a series of glyphs manifest on the ground right in her path. Weiss interceded, clashing her rapier against Emerald's kama, joining the battle with surprising speed. Emerald disengaged, moving back to help Mercury to his feet.

Weiss watched them carefully before focusing her attention on the other two, spinning the Dust cylinders in Myrtenaster to start a projectile barrage, hitting the second Ren's unguarded back while he tried to deflect Yang's attacks. The Spring Knight instantly whirled around and attacked, knocking Weiss from her feet with a gust of wind from his free hand. He then slashed repeatedly with his knife while she was down, Weiss trying desperately to block as many hits as she could…

" _ **REN!"**_

…then he stopped in mid-swing. He knew the voice. He still heard it in his nightmares.

The Spring Knight looked up from the enemy he'd floored to the one standing at the edge of the clearing, between two trees. Her hair was a bit longer than he remembered and she'd found a new outfit, but there was no mistaking those red cheeks and those blue eyes…

They looked up at him as he descended, Storm Flower in hand, mumbling one apology after another as he pushed guilt aside to do what he needed to do… how he traded her life for his, to finally escape all the guilt and pain, even as it cost…

She looked so confused now, just as she had then. She couldn't believe it when she saw her dearest friend –someone more family than friend- reaching down to kill her…

She was dead. She couldn't be here now, she was gone, she-

"She died a warrior," Lie muttered. He fell backwards, landing away from Weiss onto his bottom, just staring at the ghost standing at the tree line. "She died a warrior… she died a warrior… she died a warrior…"

"Ren," the Fall Knight hissed as he tried to push the Branwen twins off him, "Get it together…"

Mercury and Emerald exchanged glances. Yang switched her focus from the Spring Knight to them, as she, Weiss, and even the unarmed Ruby focused on their old foes from the Fall of Beacon. The two started edging backwards, one of their strongest allies apparently… incapacitated.

"Ren!" the Fall Knight snapped. "Get up and fight!"

"She died a warrior… she died a warrior… she died a warrior…" Lie just kept repeating over and over, staring at the still stunned Nora.

The Fall Knight cried out in frustration as he unleashed his Aura in a steady stream, blasting Qrow and Raven away from him. He then ran over to his brother's side and hoisted him up, pulling the Mistralian boy on his shoulder, still muttering his mantra again and again.

The Fall Knight rushed over to Emerald. "Use your power on him, now! Convince him she's not here!"

"What's wrong with h-" Emerald began, before the Fall Knight cut her off with a fierce: "NOW!"

Emerald did as he requested, reaching over to the back of Lie's head so she could find his eyes. She concentrated, trying to calm him, to convince his tortured mind he'd seen a ghost… or more specifically, _not_ seen Nora alive again.

"We're getting out of here," the Fall Knight instructed. "So hurry up, we need him."

"Don't let them escape!" Raven instructed, moving to attack again. Weiss and Yang supported her from range, firing projectiles. The Fall Knight adjusted Lie's position to his shoulder and pushed back with a fiery stream of Aura, burning away their Dust and bullets.

Lie slowly regained his composure, the stunned Nora no longer discernible in his vision. "Wha… what happened…?"

"We're pulling out," the Fall Knight explained. "Give us cover, Ren, _now_."

Raven cut through the Aura stream and moved to attack. Mercury interceded, firing a concussion burst and knocking her away. Without her own Aura to absorb the impact, she could do little else but take the hit and be sent back.

Lie concentrated, pushing wind and ice from his hands. Trees and dirt frosted around them as freezing cold gusts pushed against the assembled teams. Jaune was hesitant to move the prone Neo, but did finally release his grip on her wound and dragged her out of the path of the cold bursts, the air soon thick with frost and haze.

Weiss and Yang continued to fire into the cold, but heard no impacts. Somewhere in the howling winds they heard their enemies rush back into the trees, harsh wind and slippery ice obstructing their way to pursue.

Ruby glanced around at the others before moving over to Raven, still lying in the dirt after the last hit she took from Mercury. "Are you okay?"

Raven groaned as she forced herself to sit up, spotting Ruby at her side. She immediately pulled the silver-eyed girl into a tight embrace, holding Ruby at her midsection. "Don't you ever scare me like that again," Raven scolded, before closing her eyes and nuzzling Ruby's forehead.

Ruby turned her attention past Raven to the others. Nora shook her head and composed herself, moving over to Jaune as he continued to try and help Neo. In their haste to exit after Pyrrha's brief objection, they hadn't brought medical supplies to help their new ally…

Ruby saw him too, craning her head past Raven. She wiggled her way out of the Huntress's grip and rushed over, watching Jaune frantically try to apply pressure to her wound.

Neo was barely breathing. Her eyes were tightly shut. Jaune was panicking… the blood from her wound had hit him in burning hot gushes before. Now he felt a very cold trickle slide through his fingers.

Their enemies had been repelled, he couldn't let her die now… not when they were finally out of harm's way.

"No, no, no," Jaune insisted, pressing down hard, searching for Neo's pulse. He stopped talking, leaning his head down to listen as no breaths left the short girl's nose. "Not now, you hear me?! Not today!"

Nora and Ruby looked on from nearby, each trying to reach towards him. Footsteps drew their attention, as Pyrrha finally joined them, holding the collapsed Crescent Rose in one hand as she watched Jaune struggle to resuscitate this girl with three colors in her hair and a white coat like Roman Torchwick's.

"Not today," Jaune repeated. "I'm _not_ losing anyone else. I'm not losing-"

He glanced over his shoulder and spotted Pyrrha standing near Ruby and Nora. She watched him with her green eyes wide, not closed tightly shut as they'd been the last time he saw her.

When she'd sent him away and run off to fight a battle she couldn't win... when she died and he hadn't been able to save her…

The other Jaune had told him he could've saved her life. Was that something in the powers Ozpin gave to him? Or just a cruel ploy to try and get Ruby's location from him? It didn't matter now, he hadn't taken the offer… he'd let Neo lie there dying because he wouldn't give up the person Neo chased all the way to Anima…

Not important now. Neo was slipping away, and he couldn't do anything. She was feeling cold, her blood wasn't leaking out anymore, he couldn't find her pulse.

Pyrrha finally looked away from him. Even she knew he was just wasting his energy now. She'd never blamed him for failing… but he'd failed just the same.

"Not today," Jaune whispered, pressing his head down. "No one else. Please… _please_ …"

Pyrrha told him he had a lot of Aura. He'd barely taken any hits in the fight against these doppelgangers from another world. Couldn't he just… _give_ Neo his Aura somehow? Couldn't he just _help_ her?!

"No one else," Jaune repeated. "Not today."

What had he expected? He'd never been able to save anyone… at best he distracted their enemies and gave his friends a few moments to attack. It hadn't been enough to spare Pyrrha her life at Beacon, and now here in Mistral, this girl he'd persuaded not to chase revenge was going to die because he couldn't do anything to change that…

Nora crouched down beside him, putting a hand to his back. "Jaune," she said, trying to be patient.

Ruby remained behind. Pyrrha stepped over next, tentatively placing her hand on his shoulder. "Jaune…"

She placed her hand on his shoulder in the Emerald Forest when she unlocked his Aura. She spoke an ancient chant binding them together, placing him under her protection…

He felt the Aura leak out then and repair the cut on his cheek and revitalize him after being thrown through the air… he remembered Pyrrha being surprised at how much she found waiting within him…

"Please," Jaune said again. "No one else."

He bent down low, pressing his forehead to Neo's. She just made a change for the better; she didn't deserve to be punished because she'd volunteered to help them on their mission. She wasn't supposed to die when she'd finally-

Jaune felt warmth in his hands again. He saw light out of the corner of his eye. His hands were glowing white… and that white was spreading from him and encircling Neo's body, covering her in a thin barrier not unlike an Aura.

Nora and Pyrrha stepped back, looking on in surprise. Jaune could only watch as energy poured from his palms, and the light surrounding Neo started to glow steadily brighter… and Jaune was feeling his own heart rate pick up and his breathing grow more ragged, as though he were exerting himself. He remembered what he'd learned each night on the roof –what Pyrrha taught him- to carefully inhale and exhale and not chase after each breath.

"Is that… your Semblance?" Ruby wondered.

"Are you healing her?" Nora speculated.

Jaune hoped that was the case. He'd like nothing better than to fix Neo's wound beneath his hands. And sure enough, the flesh seemed to be scabbing over, slowly but surely… but healed by the Aura around Neo, not directly from his palms pressed to her wound. Somehow his Aura was strengthening and replenishing Neo's own, and then Neo's rejuvenated Aura set to healing her.

Jaune moved his head down to her chest, listening for her heart… listening for some sign that this was more than a pretty light show and he'd managed to-

He heard Neo sharply inhale. Jaune heard her heart thunder beneath his ear. He brought his head up to look down upon her as life slowly returned… as a pulse reached his fingertips and he again felt warmth beneath his palms.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, still unfocused. Jaune filled her field of vision, and eventually, after careful positioning and a few blinks, Neo fixed her gaze on him, on a surprised smile looking down on her.

"You're… you're back," Jaune observed. "I'm so glad… I thought I'd lost you."

Neo looked past his face to his palms on the wound in her midsection, then to the Aura flowing from his glowing hands and encircling her body. She was regaining energy… either that, or –strange as it seemed- Jaune was _giving_ it to her, refueling her Aura faster than Neo could burn it up repairing the stab in her stomach.

She glanced past Jaune's head to see the others in the clearing there: Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, Qrow and Raven, Yang Xiao Long… and even Ruby Rose, far behind the others and looking on.

The other Jaune –the man covered in Aura who stabbed her- said something about Ruby Rose, mocking Jaune –the Jaune healing her now- for his inability to save her. She wasn't sure exactly what words they'd exchanged, the memory was pretty hazy… but she was alive.

Because of him.

Neo felt strong enough to lift her arms. She reached up and wrapped them around Jaune's neck, pulling him down closer to her. Jaune focused on his work, on the wound he tended to, but did not retract or try to push her away. He let her cling to him, pressing her forehead against his cheek as she rebuilt her strength.

He'd pressed his forehead to hers' too. She'd felt it, faintly, drawing her back, reminding her someone still wanted her to live.

Jaune looked under his palms to see the stab had scabbed over. Behind him, he heard Raven suggest: "If we're not going to pursue them we should head back while we have this opening. Better not to stay out in the open if we don't have to."

"She's right," Qrow agreed. "Hurry up, kid. Get her well enough to move."

"Ruby, get back to the house and I'll open a portal to you to move the others," Raven instructed, before turning her attention to Pyrrha and Nora. "And hopefully you two can convince her to _stay_ there this time."

"Hopefully," Nora agreed. She moved towards Pyrrha at Jaune's back before stopping to watch the tall redhead, herself still looking on at Jaune and Neo.

Pyrrha was stunned by the smile on Jaune's lips now: it wasn't the amorous cruelty she expected of the Fall Knight, but the warmth and sincerity she saw on that first day. It was a boy she'd thought confined to a distant, bittersweet memory… before her and saving the life of someone in need, rather than mercilessly cutting down any but a pretty girl he intended a worse fate.

Pyrrha managed to compose herself, handing Ruby back her scythe before the silver-eyed girl headed off. She and Nora moved quickly to try and keep up, Ruby's uncle Qrow transforming behind them and flying up in the air, monitoring his niece from above.

Raven waited a few minutes, Weiss checking Yang for any injuries after her scuffle with Mercury and Jaune continuing to replenish Neo's Aura so her body could heal itself. Yang made a bad hand-related pun to her teammate at Jaune's expense, and Weiss concluded Yang was healthy enough. Raven ignored their banter and waited a bit longer before finally cutting a hole for them to travel through.

Feeling Neo's Aura had made her well enough to move, Jaune moved his hands from Neo's former wound to under her, holding her at her back and thigh and hoisting her up into his arms. Neo was surprised at first to suddenly lift from the ground, but acclimated quickly, keeping her arms around Jaune's neck and nestling her head beside his shoulder, resting as he continued to heal her.

Roman told her to survive. But he'd never told her to put her life in someone else's hands before.

He should've. She could get used to Jaune carrying her around.

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

The road to Ruby was a bit bumpy, with Yang and Weiss emerging a few feet in the air and stumbling out the portal. The girls quickly organized themselves to catch Jaune and Neo when they stepped through so as not to disrupt Neo's ride. Pyrrha watched him emerge, carrying Neo in his arms and never once allowing his clumsy fall to upset her. His hands ceased to glow, but Neo was breathing softly, looking quite content in Jaune's embrace. Once he was steady again, Jaune stepped past his friends to take Neo to her room, setting her down on her bed and pulling up a chair to sit beside her, keeping vigil over the small girl, who seemed quite pleased with the attention being doted on her.

Raven finally emerged from the portal, landing beside Weiss and Yang before turning her attention to Ruby. She really needed to solidify their link so as to make the travel more expedient… or at least more precise.

Qrow stepped into his house moments later, muttering about Lionheart. He and Raven discussed their next course of action, and whether they should try and reach the Haven headmaster to inquire about the trap he'd led them into… or if they'd been intercepted somehow and needed to warn him.

Pyrrha should've listened to what they were discussing, but her attention was all for Jaune and this side of him she hadn't seen in so long. What was it Nora said about training with him in this Remnant? And about a video on his Scroll?

"Nora," Pyrrha began, "While we have a moment, do you think you could show me that thing you were talking about earlier?"

Nora inferred quickly and stepped into Neo's room. Jaune was so tired after all the energy he'd transferred to Neo -and so focused on keeping vigil over her while she rested- he didn't bother to question why Nora needed his Scroll. He just gave it to her without a second thought and returned to watching over the girl.

Nora returned to Pyrrha, pulling up the device. "No password," she noted. "But then, he's never had anything to hide."

Pyrrha took the device as graciously as she could and stepped into the bedroom she'd split with Nora the previous night. Nora didn't follow her, only watching her head away before lowering her head and thinking on the other incarnation of Ren she'd just seen.

This other Lie Ren, this Spring Knight… he froze up and babbled when he saw her. The only other time she'd seen Ren enter that shock was when he'd come face to face with the Nuckelavee in Kuroyuri, when the past came calling and hit him full force.

Why would _she_ strike such terror in Ren? Not just Ren, a more powerful, more dangerous version of Ren? Hadn't he… Pyrrha had been vague, but hadn't he _killed_ her?

So why did she scare him?

* * *

Pyrrha recognized herself right away as the recording lectured Jaune on form, about keeping a firm grip and putting his foot forward. She would've been just as demanding were she training anyone, asking for one rep after another.

Then the Pyrrha on screen turned into someone the Pyrrha holding the Scroll _didn't_ recognize, as she giggled a bit to herself and reassured Jaune he could take a break, if he'd done his exercise correctly. The Pyrrha on the Scroll smiled fondly at her partner. "I know this can be frustrating, and it can feel like so much effort to progress such a small amount… but I want you to know I'm proud of you."

So was she. And she never expected to feel so again… to think of Jaune with fondness, to be grateful for his efforts and think back on how far he'd come with pride rather than bitter regret.

"I've never met someone so determined to better themselves," the Pyrrha on the screen continued, "You've grown so much since we started training. And I know this is just the beginning…"

The Pyrrha on the screen turned her head. The Pyrrha holding the Scroll knew that motion. She knew the doubt her other self faced… and had no idea she could _covet_ it.

"Jaune, I-I…"

Yes. She'd wanted to say it too, if only for a moment.

"…I want you to know I'm just happy to be a part of your life," the Pyrrha on the screen decided, hiding the truth away –probably not for the first time- to offer reassurance. "I'll always be here for you, Jaune."

The video ended there. Pyrrha stared down at the frozen image of this other incarnation of her, this version of her that might've been, that…

…that still wouldn't be able to tell Jaune how she felt…

Pyrrha's first instinct was to throw the Scroll at the wall. Then she remembered it wasn't hers'; it was her _partner's_.

Her partner's. How long had it been since she thought of him that way?

Pyrrha sank down onto the floor beside her bed, just staring at the mirror image, wondering if she'd felt the same before the end… if she loved him to her dying day.

Pyrrha let that love die rather than let it keep hurting her.

Or so she thought.

* * *

A few doors over from her, Oscar listened to the others slowly mill about, breaking off into groups to talk. He wondered where they'd been… he hadn't left his room for nearly a full day now.

 _You have to rejoin the world sometime, Oscar._

"I'm starting to think that'd be the worst thing I could do," Oscar argued. "What will you do when you get there? Tell them to turn Ruby over to Salem and save time?"

 _I told you before, Oscar, that was the past. I have not, I will never again-_

"Except on the other side where you _did_ ," Oscar reminded him. "Where you _chose_ her over all of them."

 _I am not this other Ozpin who seems to have lost his way, Oscar. I am as committed to stopping Salem now as I have been_ -

"So it's over, then?" Oscar interjected. "You _don't_ love her?"

For once, Oscar's thoughts were silent. It made it far easier to hear a knock on the door. "Oscar?"

Ruby. He didn't want her to seem him now; he already looked disheveled and twenty hours of lying in bed didn't help that. He tried not to let his doubt show. "Yeah?"

"Are you feeling okay? Qrow and Raven want to talk to you," Ruby explained.

He couldn't let Ozpin advise them. But that was who they were seeking help from now… the wizard living in his head, not the farm boy moping in bed.

"Yeah, okay," Oscar agreed. "Tell them I'll be out in a minute."

He heard her footsteps head away. Oscar sat up from his bed and ruffled his hair, trying to make it a little less scruffy.

 _So what will you do now?_ Ozpin asked. _Still try to shut me out or let me help with whatever has come for our friends?_

Oscar stared at the ceiling.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

The Nevermore met him once he'd climbed up from the ruins of Haven to transport Raven and the Seer binding her back to Salem. Another brought him the sword clenched between its beak, unaware of the devastating power it granted the wizard.

Other Grimm were joining them: Lancers and Nevermores carrying the small ones, Beowolves massing by the hundreds to head for the northern shore and cross an ocean on the backs of serpents and leviathans as they struck in force.

Ozpin drew the sword from the beast's mouth. He hadn't held the sword since the Great War… its power had lessened, some of the divine magic had leaked away… but with a swing he broke an army. With a few swings he could shatter a kingdom.

Ozpin stepped onto the Nevermore's back and looked on at a vast army of black marching north, growing in number with every step. Ozpin leveled the sword northwest, towards the last stronghold humanity had against the darkness.

It had been eighty years, but he'd never forgotten. He would never forget how to make war… and more, never forget how to _win_ it.

With Atlas at the end of his sword, Ozpin would gain the last piece he needed… and the endgame could finally begin.


	12. You Told Me To

**Chapter Twelve: You Told Me To**

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

Yang had originally intended to retire the room she was splitting with Ruby, but after hearing Raven and Qrow argue about their next course of action, she decided to lie on the couch in the front room instead and see how much it'd bother them to know she was eavesdropping and whether they were still keeping the kids out of the loop. It felt good to lie down and rest after the punishment Mercury inflicted, so Yang was savoring the opportunity to recuperate while occasionally listening in on whatever other plans might've been brewing.

She kept stealing glances over at Raven. She kept opening and closing her right hand, thinking on how she reached out and her mother squeezed her hand when they thought they were facing defeat…

It was a foolish sentiment, but she couldn't help it. When she marched into the bandit camp and demanded Raven's help, Yang honestly never expected to see her again. Yet now, this Raven from another world who'd married her father _after_ Ruby was born and after Summer disappeared had been there for her when it counted most.

It was hard to reconcile her feelings. She'd always _hoped_ there'd be a good reason Raven left her and her father and once they finally met the answer would put all Yang's doubts to rest. Instead the Raven she found didn't know her and instead devoted all her affections for the rest of Yang's family, and quite possibly loved Ruby even more than Yang did… and that was such a jarring difference from her expectation it still didn't quite feel real. Raven had been understandably wary of her, and Yang's first instinct had been suspicion and mistrust…

And then Yang reached out and hugged that woman when she saw disappointment and loneliness, and felt as though she was embracing someone she cared for. And then Raven responded to Yang's need in turn, accepting a strange mechanical hand as readily as one made of flesh and blood and holding her when all seemed lost.

She kept reminding herself this Raven was _not_ her mother and that she'd yet to meet the person who gave birth to her and abandoned her and her father. Yang hadn't met that woman yet, and unless they found some way to return all these people out of place, maybe she never would.

They needed to get Ren back, of course. But Yang couldn't help but wonder what to do with Raven… just as Yang would occasionally steal looks at her, she saw how Raven would steal looks at Ruby whenever she was in her field of vision. Yang often did the same, keeping an eye on her sister or reflecting on the woman she was growing to be.

Yang had been opposed to it at first, the thought of someone stepping in to mother Ruby… but given how fiercely protective (and embarrassingly affectionate) Raven was Yang had to admit she was getting used to having her around, and honestly hoped Ruby was appreciative. It was a complete 180 from where she'd been before, and the longer they spent together the more Yang was entertaining keeping Raven in their lives.

But then what became of the Raven from _this_ Remnant? Her father had talked about her having _some_ admirable qualities, and still occasionally spoke of her with some lingering –if distant- affection. _If_ they were able to help her and get her back from the other side, surely they had to, if only for that little bit of love still left. If Tai could forgive her, surely Yang could (eventually) do the same…

The world could apparently suffer two Jaunes. Couldn't it also bear two Ravens? Her Semblance was what protected Jaune from disappearing as Ren had. Maybe she could shield others from the transition, but not herself.

Yang's eye moved around the room, eventually find Pyrrha standing at the backdoor, talking to Nora outside. The swords strapped to her back looked eerily familiar…

Maybe there were others they could save too. Or maybe Yang could go there herself, if she'd never existed at all on the other side. If Raven's gift brought her to this Remnant, maybe the Raven now on the other side could somehow bring Yang over with their bond and her Semblance. Maybe she could help her real mother return, or persuade her to help bring Ren back.

Yang clenched her fist again as she thought on the fight before. Mercury wasn't exactly a slouch in combat, but he was leagues below Cinder in power; otherwise he'd never bother obeying her orders. And the other Jaune and other Ren had been exceedingly powerful, to the point they could boss Cinder's two flunkies around and fight evenly with Raven and Qrow. If Salem had _anyone else_ comparable to that strength on the other side…

Yang had come to Mistral for her family. And once she was absolutely certain Ruby was safe, another member of that family would need her help… and Yang would need to be strong enough to save her.

Her body still ached, but she'd rested long enough. Pyrrha and Nora were up… and she could think of no better choices to help push her a little further.

* * *

Oscar tentatively allowed Ozpin to assume control of his motions, but only because he didn't want to constantly play messenger, relaying Oz's words back and forth. He was much more tense than usual, and Ozpin's words came out a bit slower, a bit more strangled as pitch shifted back and forth between his practiced tone and Oscar's timid voice. "If Salem has pooled her resources with these knights, then it can only be because they've offered her something worth entertaining the alliance."

"When Ruby joined the fight they _did_ mention wanting to capture her too," Qrow replied. "Both Salem _and_ Cinder want her, so it could go either way."

"If this Cinder wanted Ruby, why wasn't she fighting alongside them, then?" Raven asked. "If she's as powerful as you seem to think she is, she'd have made short work of us."

"You know the kids from the other side," Qrow pointed out. "Maybe they thought they could take us themselves… to be fair, they _did_ get pretty close."

"I doubt the Spring Knight cares about personal glory," Raven dryly replied. "If he could've assured victory he'd have brought the advantage with him."

"And these two are the only ones Salem has sent?" Ozpin asked. "Does she have other followers you are aware of?"

"Before your… _defection_ ," Raven warily replied, "You told us she had been making alliances, but that all her subordinates were disposable. I wasn't aware of anyone in particular in her confidence other than these knights."

Ozpin was quiet a moment. "That may give us an advantage then. When Oscar and I made our way here, we encountered someone… someone who would take great umbrage at the thought of Salem and myself working together."

"Friend of yours'?" Qrow inquired.

"I had hoped," Ozpin mused. "But if he has come to Anima for the reasons I suspect, he _may_ provide us an opportunity. We could divide Salem from these new allies and pit them against each other."

"Any way we can reach him?" Raven asked.

"That is where we will need Leo's help," Ozpin replied, turning his attention to Qrow. "All these missing Huntsmen… I don't think it's coincidence that so many went missing and that none could be present when Leo organized this 'search party.' I hate to say it, but I think his fear has gotten the better of him."

"He's working for Salem then?" Raven speculated.

"Possibly," Ozpin allowed. "I hope he's not so foolish… but if he _is_ , then we need to find the Spring Maiden quickly. And in the meantime, we need to learn just how many enemies we have lying in wait." Ozpin craned his head around at the collection of students, visitors from other worlds, and former criminals he had to work with. "We by no means hold the advantage, but _if_ we can isolate the threats we face, then perhaps we can divide and conquer, just as Salem always means to."

"Use her tactics against her; I like," Qrow agreed. "But where do we start?"

"We start by telling Leo you survived the trap he… _unintentionally_ led you into," Ozpin replied. "And then we warn him there are traitors in his midst, and listen where he cries for help."

* * *

 _Haven Academy_

Lionheart's Scroll buzzed at him with a message from Qrow: a warning that they'd been betrayed, that someone had intercepted his message or the Huntsmen he'd recruited to help had turned traitor and sold them out to Salem. Qrow reported he and his team were lying low, waiting for the dust to settle before they poked their heads out again.

Lionheart had a pretty good idea where Qrow and the Beacon students were staying, but as Salem and her forces had yet to _ask_ he hadn't gone out of his way to volunteer the information. But this latest failure was _sure_ to upset the Queen, and he wasn't at all eager to be subject to her anger. Instead he had to sit in his office and wallow in his guilt at betraying his friends again… and knowing there'd be more betrayal to come.

He'd feel guilty too if these boys fighting for Salem had killed Qrow and the others, but at least that'd be the end of it… at least Leo wouldn't be deceiving his friend again and again; at least the mountain of lies would reach its peak. Instead he'd revealed his hand and somehow felt _worse_ that Qrow failed to notice.

But then, Qrow wasn't foolish. He probably _suspected_ something was wrong, but he didn't yet know for sure Leo had betrayed him. The missing Huntsmen were on his mind instead, and Qrow thought someone else sold them out. He missed the obvious conclusion for something more intricate.

He'd never know if those Huntsmen would've been loyal to their kingdom or their cause. Leo saw to that, and knew that Salem's disciples had dealt with them. He'd robbed his kingdom of its champions to save his own life… and now Qrow was attributing Leo's crimes to the dead.

So much guilt… if only he could explain, if only he could be honest with his friend and admit that he'd been weak, and ever since he'd let the monster in his door he'd been unable to cast her back out.

He reached for the Scroll to answer. He came very close to asking Qrow to save him.

Instead, before composing a reply, Lionheart had a few precious seconds to think… and fear won out over friendship, as he set the Scroll aside and stood up from his desk to a chamber near his office, where the monster took up residence, watching over him and counting his every step.

"Your Grace, I've heard some troubling news," Lionheart mumbled, unable to look even at the black surface of the Seer. "It seems Qrow Branwen and the students escaped the trap we set for them…"

The Seer did not answer, floating silently before him.

"They… they might suspect me now," Lionheart quickly added. "We need to find another way, we need to deal with them quickly… i-if your Grace still means to capture them."

The Seer remained silent. Lionheart grew only more terrified the longer he stood before the Queen's vassal and silence lingered between them. "I-if it pleases you, your Grace, I can go to him, I can explain-"

"No."

Salem hadn't deigned to appear reflected on the Seer's skin. She hadn't raised her voice. And Lionheart immediately stopped talking, far more content with silence than the slightest _hint_ of her disapproval.

"You will remain at Haven and leave this to me," Salem instructed. "I will see to it this failure is the last… and so will you."

"Yes, your Grace, of course!" Lionheart frantically agreed. "Thank you, my Queen…"

The Seer fell silent again. Lionheart quickly scampered backwards, returning to his office and out of the creature's range. If anything, he felt far worse after toadying to Salem… just because she hadn't assigned him blame didn't mean she wouldn't punish him for failing if the whim took her.

Though for the moment he was spared her wrath… Salem was in her keep, contemplating, planning… and no doubt someone else would be subject to her displeasure before the night was done.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ren had observed a Nevermore visiting the top of Salem's keep shortly after Ozpin contacted them. It took _something_ from within and headed north… and dozens of Grimm wandering the red rocks did the same. More emerging from the black pools headed in the same direction, moving in massive herds.

Ozpin had promised war in Atlas, and Salem showed Ren a recollection of a terrible weapon. If Ozpin had that _and_ Grimm at his back, Ren wasn't sure what his adversaries could hope to muster in response. If only there was some way he could send a warning, but he wasn't sure what communication options he had or what level of technology might've been moved inside this ancient castle…

Salem was still nearby. Ren didn't _think_ she knew every thought running through his brain, but she was probably smart enough to suspect he'd try to thwart her; she simply didn't believe he'd pose any threat to stopping her.

But there was another option. If he could reach her.

"Excuse me," Ren began. "I'm not sure if there's more you wanted to show me, but… so long as Blake is staying here, could I speak to her?"

"Of course, my son," Salem assured him. "Should I bring her to your room?"

"My… room?" Ren repeated, incredulous.

"Ah, you have had a long day," Salem mused, "Yes, I will take you to your chambers and have the High Leader join you. I'm sure you're eager to have a chance to rest."

Ren had no intention of falling asleep in this witch's house if it could be helped. But he _was_ tired, and might succumb eventually… so long as he got a message out to stall whatever Salem was planning. Whatever this world was, Grimm attacking a kingdom was something he'd fight to prevent.

Though that led him to wonder exactly _how_ he'd convince Blake to send a warning. Even the Blake he knew at Beacon –even after she defended a foreign kingdom from her former comrades in the White Fang- had never held much love for Atlas. And the one in _this_ world was hardened by pain and loss, and he'd have to try and convince her to help a kingdom that had persecuted Faunus again and again… _and_ convince her to betray Salem after Salem had given the White Fang a kingdom of their own to rule.

He had to believe there was still a better person in there; a soul still intact behind that bloodied mask. He had to believe that those he already knew capable of being good people in his world could become good people in this one.

It may not make a difference; it may not do anything to help his friends or the other Remnant he hailed from. But Grimm –and Salem- were enemies of humans and Faunus alike in both worlds: of that he could be certain.

As Salem led him, still fondly clinging to his arm, Ren speculated on where Raven Branwen would be placed once she was brought to the castle. Salem had yet to show him a great many rooms, and he couldn't help but think so far he'd only seen what Salem _wanted_ him to see.

He had to be careful in searching… and the _moment_ he thought he could look around without drawing Salem's attention, he would act.

A Raven Branwen had somehow crossed over from this Remnant into his, so that was where he'd focus his efforts… after he persuaded a friend to give up everything she'd gained to help people who'd done nothing to deserve her aid.

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

"Still nothing?" Raven asked, impatient.

"Nope," Qrow confirmed, sliding his finger over the surface of his Scroll.

Ozpin tented Oscar's hands and thought. "It's possible he's indisposed or even under attack himself… but I think it's fair to conclude we can no longer rely on the intel Leo provides either way."

"So how do we find the Spring Maiden?" Qrow asked. "Raven –uh, the Raven from here- knew who it was." He turned his attention to the Raven on hand. "How long were you with the bandits here?"

"A few days," Raven answered. "I deliberately avoided them most of the time, but if the tribe is anything like it was before, there's only so many places they could flee to. The same strongholds they used when we were children should still be intact… well, unless I missed a drastic overhaul of policy by the Mistral council."

"Well, we have a few leads on where to search then," Qrow agreed. "But what about those two knights? You said that extra angsty Ren wanted to bring you back to Ozpin so he can reabsorb the magic he gave us…"

"Just as he amassed the relics and the knights," Raven added. "He has been constantly seeking to increase his power, though –as usual- he wasn't very forthcoming with his motives."

"And how powerful _were_ you, Oz?" Qrow asked. "Back in the day?"

Oscar noticed that Oz was hesitating… but not because he meant to deceive. Because he didn't _know_.

"If he were to reacquire the missing powers, he would be stronger than the combined military of the four kingdoms," Ozpin answered. "And _if_ he reached that point, it'd make little difference how much _more_ powerful he could be."

"We can't let them get Raven," Qrow agreed.

"Well then," Raven began, "We should prioritize dealing with the Spring Knight and his comrade. Once we remove them it'll be far easier to oppose Salem here."

"Or we can secure the Relic of Knowledge from Haven and let these two factions _both_ return to Salem empty-handed," Ozpin suggested. "Either way, we'll need to decide –and prioritize- now. I have no doubt Salem will be on the move and eager to correct this blunder."

"And _if_ we're going after the knights we'll need to hit them with everything and everyone we've got," Qrow added. "Based on how today went…"

"If the knights are as determined as you say to capture Raven they should be our focus," Ozpin decided. " _However_ , if we tell Leo our attention is instead devoted to finding the Spring Maiden, now that we believe ourselves vulnerable…"

"When did you get so devious, Oz?" Qrow wondered.

Raven didn't share his good humor. "The appeal will pass."

Ozpin sighed. "For the moment at least, we have a common enemy, Raven. Surely we can tolerate each other until all the ones we care about are safe."

"And who –exactly- do _you_ care about, Ozpin?" Raven inquired, narrowing her eyes.

"My students, of course," Ozpin quickly replied. "I know you are wary of me, but I'm sure you'd prefer not to be judged by the actions of your counterpart we know. Hopefully you can allow me the same courtesy."

Oscar was tempted to intervene then, and make it clear what Ozpin had done before, just in case Raven and Qrow didn't yet know. Ozpin wasn't planning on telling them… but he didn't think either of them -even the eternally loyal Qrow- were completely unaware of his duplicity.

Oscar could reveal the extent of Ozpin's crimes to them. His allies –or whatever he considered them- deserved to know the true nature of the man they were putting their faith in now. But then, Raven had been prepared to draw her sword on him once already…

 _It's not so simple, is it?_ Ozpin inquired.

Oscar reasserted control over his body. Raven eyed him warily, observing the way light shifted about in his eyes. Oscar quickly filled the quiet air: "I'll just get back to training then… for when we're ready to fight these knights."

"Yeah, fine, kid," Qrow agreed. "I'll send the message to Leo and get things started."

Once Oscar was out of earshot, Raven leaned close to her brother and whispered: "And what happens if _this_ Ozpin is playing us just like the one I know did?"

"I know you're not the trusting type," Qrow allowed. "But if Oz was going to sell us out to Salem he'd have done so a while ago. He wouldn't have much to offer her where he's at in the new kid's body."

Raven then very pointedly reminded him: "Except Ruby."

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Salem finally released him, leaving him outside a heavy wooden door and promising to return with Blake Belladonna. Ren had patiently tried to explain that he _wasn't_ interested in whatever strange marriage alliance Salem was trying to goad Blake into, but his defiance only seemed to amuse Salem further. Ren considered where he stood now and wondered if he should just wait in the hall… as though the room left to him was some sort of trap he'd yet to trigger.

Ren focused his senses, listening for any indication Salem was spying on him or speaking about him. He could definitely hear voices talking… but given all that Salem had whispered in his ear lately Ren wasn't so sure if they were real at first. That was, until he drew closer to the sounds… many sounds in different pitches and tones, all coming from another door just down the hall from the one Salem had left him before.

Curious, Ren stepped to the wooden frame and reached his head to its iron handle. He wasn't sure if he should simply open it or knock, but he'd _definitely_ heard a voice other than Salem's within. Whoever else was residing in this castle… well, he doubted anyone could refuse Salem's command to stay, and he was equally confident not everyone invited to remain would _wish_ to. Ren reached his hand above the handle and knocked against the wooden surface.

The voices abruptly stopped. Ren listened closely to footsteps drawing nearer, to someone reaching to open the door… and Ren immediately drawing back upon seeing the person on the other side.

"Forgive us, Spring Knight," Cinder Fall requested, both of her amber eyes pointed to the floor. "We didn't mean to disturb you."

Ren just looked on at Cinder –the woman who masterminded the attack on Beacon- timidly apologizing to him. He looked past her into the room, a massive chamber with a massive bed, occupied by two others he recognized: Cinder's ally Emerald and Coco Adel, the leader of the second year Team CFVY. Why was a Beacon student in Salem's castle?

Ren pushed aside his initial shock at seeing Cinder again and stepped past to Coco on the bed. "Are you all right?" he inquired. "What are you doing here?"

Coco looked up at him with her brown eyes, dull and glazed over. "I have been tending to our Master. Do you know if he'll be returning soon, Spring Knight?"

Master? Did she mean-

"I… I don't know," Ren quickly replied. "How long have you been here?"

"Since Master asked me to join him," Coco answered. "We all have."

Ren had not been close with Coco during their time together at Beacon, but he _had_ shared many afternoon tea meetings with her teammate Fox Alistair, and from what he learned secondhand was that Coco was fiercely independent and unfailingly confident. That she would refer to _anyone_ as 'Master'… especially who Ren suspected she was talking about.

"What do you remember about back then?" Ren asked her. "Do you remember Beacon and what happened?"

Coco's dull expression never wavered. "It was all so long ago… Master told me to forget."

"The past is the past," Cinder added, still standing by the door. "It will never change; what does it matter in the here and now?"

Ren wasn't sure what led them to this state, but he had an opportunity to gain more information… and he didn't want to lose it. Whatever they'd been through, whatever compelled them to try and forget, Ren really wished to understand what led him –and led Jaune- to become Salem's minion. "Tell me about Beacon," Ren insisted. "Tell me what you remember."

Coco shook her head. "It's all in the past… Master wants me to forget…"

Ren reached a hand to her shoulder, trying to be gentle and not grip her too firmly. "Jaune wasn't always your master. You wanted to be a Huntress; do you remember?"

Coco only stared at him. Ren quickly changed tactics. "Your teammates- do you remember them? Do you remember Team CFVY?"

"Coffee?" Coco repeated, confused.

Ren frantically tried to remember. "Fox, Velvet, Yatsuhashi… your team. Your _friends_."

The names seemed to affect her. "Fox… Yatsu…"

Two out of three wasn't bad. Ren didn't push his luck. "What happened to them, Coco? What happened to all our friends?"

"I don't… I don't…" Coco couldn't seem to compose a thought, before falling back on her earlier mantra: "Master told me to forget…"

What had Jaune –or Salem or even Ozpin- done to them? What could render someone as confident and assertive as Coco or as menacing as Cinder into this timid mess?

"Please," Ren requested, "I know it's difficult for you, but please… please tell me _anything_ you can recall."

Coco only continued to mutter about her master's will. But to Ren's surprise, _Emerald_ drew over to him from the other side of the bed, drawing his attention by tapping Ren's free arm.

Emerald looked past Ren to Cinder at the door. Ren followed her line of sight, then shifted his attention back to those red eyes when Emerald refocused them on him. "He took her first… before me. And Coco was before Cinder."

That gave Ren _some_ information at least. "Why? _How_?"

"The King gave him something," Emerald explained, struggling almost as much as Coco had, though her sentences were noticeably more coherent. "Something that… changed us…"

"What was it?" Ren pressed. "What did he use?"

"We were trying to find it," Emerald explained, looking past Ren at Cinder once again. "Buried under Beacon… in the vault…"

Ren thought on what Jaune told him about what became of Pyrrha. And _then_ what Qrow told him at their campfire after their battle with Tyrian in Oniyuri.

A relic… buried under Beacon. Somehow it had left these three very powerful women into these all-but broken shells?

Ozpin said he was going to Atlas to recover a relic 'stolen' from them. Was it the same thing that left Coco and the others like this?

If Salem were to get her hands on _that_ …

He had to talk to Blake and persuade her to get a warning to Atlas. She'd already begun eroding the defenses of his mind… and if the will of someone like Coco Adel or Cinder Fall could become so broken…

* * *

"Are you awake, Raven?"

Raven slowly stirred. She tried to raise an arm to her face, but found herself lacking any range of motion. Her eyes snapped open as she glanced at her right, the thin tendrils of a Seer holding her arm in place. Raven whipped her head around to look at her left and saw a second Seer keeping _that_ arm ensnared. Her feet dangled over several feet of air above pleated stone floor, the two Grimm messengers presenting her to their queen.

"Unfortunately," Raven dryly replied.

"Ozpin grew tired of your constant rebellion," Salem explained.

"I'm sorry to disappoint him," Raven replied. "But then, without me to hold his portal open, your 'knights' remain stuck on the other side, don't they? So you can't be rid of me just yet."

"True, your life does still hold value," Salem conceded. "But I don't want you to make the mistake of thinking you are _indispensable_ … your power is needed to connect to the other Remnant, but your power could easily go to another."

"I'm shaking," Raven mocked. "If Ozpin could've taken it away from me he would have already."

"You are not of this world, and nor is the power you carry within you," Salem acknowledged. "But others have found their way here –or from here to there- _without_ your Semblance, and I am certain Ozpin can find a suitable alternative. While he goes to acquire that missing piece, you have an opportunity to decide… is it worth our time to keep you alive?"

Raven glared at her. "If you didn't need me I'd already be dead."

"Don't be so sure," Salem suggested. "You have value, certainly… but once Ozpin returns with the ability to create _anything_ we require, you will be useless to us."

Salem waved her arm. Raven heard something heavy creak in the darkness at her back: a heavy door swinging open. "But not to _her_."

Raven heard footsteps. A Faunus girl wearing a bloodied mask moved to stand beside Salem, looking up at her.

"Is this the one, High Leader?" Salem asked. "The one who took Adam Taurus from you?"

"Yes, my Queen," the Faunus confirmed, incandescent with rage, the mask barely containing the fury behind it.

"I don't know what lies you've told this girl, Salem, but-" Raven didn't get a chance to finish, as the Faunus girl leveled a blade towards Raven's throat.

"Not yet," Salem firmly instructed. "Not until you've agreed to my proposal, at least."

The Faunus girl's hand was shaking. The blade was _very_ near slicing Raven's throat. She _badly_ wanted to attack, and would have already were she not in the queen's castle and serving at her pleasure… just like everyone else Salem ever added to her number.

"Consider this a dowry," Salem told her. "If you will join my son, I will give you the revenge you've sought for so long."

"Yes," she agreed immediately.

"Excellent," Salem said with a smile, before reaching her hand to press the Faunus girl's blade away. "Then go and tell Lie the good news. And together we'll make arrangements to see this one put to death… for what little remains of humanity to see."

The Faunus girl would _clearly_ prefer to kill Raven right there. But she did as Salem commanded, leaving them.

"So, you were always going to kill me," Raven mused. "Imagine my shock."

" _Or_ I could offer up another Raven in your place," Salem reminded her. "I am simply no longer willing to indulge you. I _am_ willing to honor our agreement… but the longer you insist on this rebellion, the more you stifle our plans. You may well have been home already had you not attempted to escape us.

"So I ask you a final time," Salem decided. "Think carefully, because we will not tolerate further defiance. Allies? Or death?"

Just outside, on the other side of a heavy wooden door, Blake's sensitive ears listened to what the queen hadn't meant for her ears… and thought on just how valuable Salem's word was.

Revenge was before her… but apparently there was more than one Raven Branwen, and Salem intended to offer up another one in the place of the one she had?

The Spring Knight seemed to think he'd known her… known her in a better time and place than this. What had he seen? What did he know?

And why was Salem keeping that from her?

* * *

 _Haven Academy_

When Mercury and Emerald came in first, Cinder could tell by their expressions they were bearing bad news. It didn't surprise her things had gone awry… though it had come at a very inconvenient time. Salem already had evidence of their failure to consider, and if they were foolish enough to return to the Queen empty-handed…

Cinder hadn't known what Salem wanted to tell Tyrian when she summoned him to her meeting room, but she'd been grateful not to be present to witness it. She very much doubted Salem had been understanding of Tyrian's failed efforts to capture Ruby. And these two who claimed to come from another world… well, Cinder couldn't imagine Salem would be any more understanding of outsiders.

Emerald only shook her head and moved to stand behind her leader when the knights stormed into the grand hall. The Fall Knight was clearly enraged, even though Cinder could only make out a vague silhouette inside the steady stream of Aura.

"He's gonna make all kinds of excuses," Mercury whispered to Cinder, "But this one's on them."

Cinder faintly nodded. She watched as the Spring Knight stepped in after his brother, far more composed than his ally. While Jaune continued to grumble, Lie stepped forward to address the trio. "We need to tell the Queen what has happened."

"And tell her how you two botched the snatch and grab?" Mercury suggested.

Before Jaune could offer a rebuttal, Lie raised his arm to quell his brother. "The fault _is_ mine, and I will tell the Queen the same. There will be time for her to render her judgment on me, but we need to come up with a new plan to acquire the anomaly."

"One where you don't freak out because your girlfriend showed up?" Mercury asked.

Lie's seemingly eternal calm shattered in an instant. Aura encircled his eyes and Mercury prepared himself for a fight…

Cinder raised her arm before Mercury, gesturing him to back down. With Cinder between him and Lie, Mercury did as she commanded and allowed himself to relax a few hairs. Though Lie continued to glare at him, eventually the Aura vanished from sight and the Spring Knight composed himself. "We have lost the element of surprise," Lie explained. "We will need some other way to draw our targets into the open."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Cinder agreed. "Because as it happens, I have something in mind…"

Before Cinder had a chance to elaborate, however, another joined them in the hall, having followed Cinder back from the White Fang's headquarters…

When Jaune and Lie turned their attention to the newcomer, they were instantly on their guard. The brutish Hazel looked down at the two and grunted: "What are you looking at?"

Jaune narrowed his eyes. "So, the Queen's still got _you_ kicking around, huh?"

Hazel raised an eyebrow. "Do we know each other?"

"Oh, _not anymore_ ," Jaune replied.

Lie raised an arm to Jaune's shoulder, reaching right through his burning Aura. "This isn't our world, brother. He can still be of use to us."

"Of use to _you_?" Hazel repeated. "I don't know what Salem's told you two about me, but I'm _not_ one to be used."

"Oh, I know," Jaune agreed. "You wouldn't play along when Ozpin rolled in and it cost you."

" _Ozpin_?" Hazel repeated. Cinder raised her remaining eyebrow at the change in his tone; it was the first time she could ever recall hearing him raising his voice.

"This one's a liability," Jaune explained to the others. "Is _he_ part of your plan, Cinder?"

Cinder had certainly considered bringing Hazel's power into her scheme, but… "No."

"Good," Jaune nodded, cracking his knuckles from somewhere within his fiery sheen of Aura. "Then we won't be needing him."

"Don't do it, Jaune," Lie warned. "The Queen will _not_ be pleased to know you've done this without her permission."

"She'll accept it when we bring her the relic and the silver-eyed warrior," Jaune argued. "Dumb as Rainart is, he knows how this goes… and Salem will make do without."

Hazel eyed the boy warily. "I'm not sure what you think is going to happen here, but I didn't come to fight you, boy."

"Life is full of surprises," Jaune replied. "And the sooner she's rid of you, the better off Salem will be…"

Lie sighed and stepped back. "I can see there's no point in trying to persuade you to work with him…"

"Nope," Jaune confirmed.

Hazel pounded his right fist into his left palm. "Don't do this. This won't end well for you."

"Oh, I've done this before: I know _exactly_ how it turns out," Jaune replied. "And if the Queen has any reason to doubt our abilities… well, after I'm finished with you I think her confidence will be restored."

Hazel narrowed his eyes. Jaune's anger and frustration turned to a cocky grin. "So what do ya say, big guy? Still not here to fight?"

"Guess not," Hazel admitted.

"Salem told you to kill us if we failed, didn't she?" Jaune asked.

"She told me you might get out of line," Hazel answered. "I can see she was right to think so."

"Oh, don't worry," Jaune assured you. "It won't be your problem much longer."

Hazel grunted. "You're right."

The Fall Knight unsheathed his sword and rushed towards him, clashing blade against fist.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ozpin could see the snowy shore ahead. It'd be a few hours before all of Salem's Grimm were in place, but it didn't seem they'd raised the kingdom's early warning systems. Scouts would find their landing site before everything was in place, but Atlas –even with all their discipline and efficiency- wouldn't be able to scramble an effective response to meet the horde coming to meet them.

Great beasts emerged from the sea and climbed onto the shore. Nevermores at the head of the fleet dropped Beowolves and Ursa to gather together. Goliaths already wandering the continent moved into place to join the gathering army.

Ozpin looked down at the blade in his hand. He had so little of the gods' power left… he'd have to measure it carefully and strike true. He couldn't be reckless, but displays of power would be needed to demoralize Atlas and stifle their resistance.

If his predictions were correct, however… he had more than enough to complete his mission. After all, both Ironwood _and_ Salem would be expecting him to go one place, and not another.

The Grimm wouldn't know any better. Now he just needed his old friend James to do what came naturally… because he was about to seize victory from the jaws of defeat, and he didn't even know it.

* * *

 _Mistral_

Pyrrha stepped back inside, leaving Yang and Nora to continue their sparring. She was looking forward to a shower and some rest after the day's excitement, but on her way down the hall, she spotted a green-eyed boy with prominent freckles waiting to meet her.

Pyrrha knew there was another person staying in the house… one she hadn't yet been introduced to. She couldn't help but be wary, but she tried not to be bothered by this boy just because no one had taken the time to introduce them. "Hello," she greeted.

His eyes flashed brightly. Pyrrha was immediately on her guard, drawing the green sword to her hand.

"I mean you no harm, Miss Nikos," the boy assured her. "I only wanted to ask about the world you come from."

Pyrrha continued to eye him carefully, not relaxing her grip on her sword.

"Specifically, I wanted to know how you learned to master your Semblance," the boy continued. "Because I'm wondering why someone so strong, so intelligent, and so caring… would feel the need to be keeping secrets."

Oscar was apprehensive. Yet he let Ozpin play his hand.

"Who are you?" Pyrrha asked him.

"I think you know already," Ozpin replied. "So tell me… why did you decide to leave your world for this one?"

Pyrrha lowered her sword. "Because you told me to."


	13. Self-Destruction

**Chapter Thirteen: Self-Destruction**

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

"I did?" Oscar inquired, incredulous. "How? Why?"

Pyrrha glanced back towards the living room and the others. "Do the rest of your allies know about the relic?"

"Qrow told Ruby and the others traveling with her," Oscar replied. "I don't know if Yang and Weiss know… and Neo… well, I'm _still_ not sure what to make of that one."

Pyrrha nodded. "Do they know that the relics' knowledge is finite?"

Ozpin asserted himself over Oscar again. "That… wasn't something I ever meant to share. Nor is it necessarily something I want _anyone_ to know."

"Well, as I understand it, Professor –as you _explained it to me_ \- the power granted by the two brothers was meant to help humanity for a very short time; not indefinitely," Pyrrha explained. "And you gave me a chance to use the Relic of Knowledge because you wanted me to provide a counterweight against Salem in your place."

Oscar was surprised at the feelings of elation emerging from Ozpin's soul now. "So… I'm still opposed to Salem in the world you came from?"

"I'm honestly not sure _what_ you want," Pyrrha admitted. "You used the relic on Jaune and Ren and you alluded to others, too… and you told me to come here and find Ruby. When my Semblance became clearer to me, when I understood all the rules I felt the pull between our two worlds. Part of me thought you were just using me to find the way here."

If another Ozpin meant for Pyrrha to fight against Salem, why had he sent her to another world away from the fight? Had he become aware of Raven making the same trip and merely meant to pit them against each other by sending Pyrrha after Raven's surrogate child? It wouldn't be the first time Ozpin lied to an asset and sent it on what _seemed_ like a noble and worthwhile mission… one more thing for Oscar to disapprove of.

"And yet I didn't follow," Ozpin noted. "What did I have in mind for Ruby?"

"That I protect her from Salem," Pyrrha replied. "You kept mentioning a 'protector' who'd make all the difference… about how someone standing between Salem and Ruby could change things."

Ozpin knew the memory well. He'd used up a great deal of his power to ensure that protector came to be.

He couldn't see the blonde girl lying on the couch anymore; she'd stepped out and was still training with Nora. Instead Oscar's eyes moved past the living room to what he could see of the kitchen, where Raven and Qrow still spoke.

He'd seen the future for the briefest moment, where Raven's child by Taiyang protected the last silver-eyeed warrior, giving her life for the sake of her sister, the person she loved most in this world… and how her sacrifice would ensure Salem's defeat. Ozpin used up a great deal of his magic to coerce Raven into playing the role she'd need to, even knowing it would destroy Team STRQ and add another dangerous and unstable element.

Ozpin came close to giving up then… on finding another way to ensure Ruby's safety and not give up so much of his magic for one life. But then he concluded one life had _always_ been the difference between victory and defeat in his war with Salem… because he simply couldn't give up on the one life he'd taken and the one he'd spared.

Ozpin returned to the present and focused his attention on Pyrrha again. "Did I tell you anything else?"

"Only that my presence shouldn't change things here," Pyrrha explained. "That balance could be maintained so long as the opposite switched places… or in my case, there was no opposite to find."

Ozpin thought on it, glancing to the closed door to Neo's room, where Jaune still kept vigil over the recuperating girl. "And if there _were_ more than one in the same reality?"

"You didn't say," Pyrrha answered. "But I assume if he was _supposed_ to switch with someone else…"

Ozpin felt the jolt when Jaune emerged from Raven's portal. He was certain Salem felt it too.

Things _were_ out of balance. Of that he was certain.

"Pyrrha…" Ozpin began, "…do you think you could find it again? The point where you entered this side?"

"I was in Vale when I searched the first time," Pyrrha answered. "But yes, I think I could find it with time to concentrate. Why?"

Ozpin knew she was still wary of him, and probably wouldn't be eager to show off her tricks to him… hence the reminder of her limitations. But Ozpin hadn't forgotten what motivated her before, and was certain her weakness was the same in another remnant as it had been in this one.

"Because I want to know if there's a greater danger than Salem or her knights," Ozpin explained. "I want to know what consequences our efforts to protect Mr. Arc may have."

* * *

 _Haven Academy_

Jaune initiated the battle, confident he could best Hazel… but the older man was flinging him around the grand hall of the academy with contemptuous ease. Jaune's sword was constantly sliding off whichever arm Hazel raised to take the hit, his Aura holding up under the assault and his _second_ arm reaching up to fling Jaune over his head and drive him into the nearest wall or into the floor. Jaune would quickly rise and slash again, and the motions repeated over and over, with the blonde boy plainly outmatched yet never letting up in his attack.

"This is pointless," Emerald protested from the sidelines. "Aren't we supposed to be allies? We're just wasting time fighting each other instead of dealing with Qrow and the others."

"Hazel _was_ Salem's ally," Lie confirmed, watching along with her. "Until our King asked to rejoin her and stay in her keep. Hazel… wasn't willing to set aside his enmity for Ozpin and rebelled."

Cinder offered no commentary, listening closely to what Lie was saying. She hadn't yet pieced together _all_ the details these two had offered, nor had she decided what part they'd play in her own plans, but the more insight she gained to them now the more she'd be able to use once she set things in motion.

"And what, he got his butt kicked so bad Hazel felt sorry for him and left?" Mercury speculated.

"Jaune was eager to test his powers," Lie explained. "And he wanted to demonstrate his value to the queen by showing her how much stronger he'd become by defeating one of her lieutenants. Ozpin saw it as a good demonstration of his sincerity… and removed any infighting in our ranks at the same time."

"But now there's just infighting _here_ ," Emerald argued. "As long as Hazel's here he could help us capture Ruby and Raven."

"I agree," Lie nodded. "But there's no going back now; Jaune's frustrated and needs a way to vent. I'm sure you prefer it be Hazel… and not _you_."

Emerald looked disgusted at the very thought. She turned her attention to Cinder, searching for some reaction to Jaune's… _intentions_ towards them and others, but all Cinder did was quietly observe the fight.

Jaune stood up again and _finally_ changed tactics, striking at Hazel's _legs_ instead before the bruiser counterattacked with both hands and flung him away. Jaune dug Crocea Mors into the floor to slow his motion, quickly charging back into the fray and quietly slashing below Hazel's belt again.

The little nicks were digging through Hazel's Aura. The more Hazel exerted himself by tossing around Jaune's bulk and weight, the more his stamina slowly leaked away. Hazel's Semblance would block out the pain of every strike and let him keep fighting, but with enough time and effort, he'd eventually be lugging around a derelict… and then be unable to move at all once Jaune broke enough bones and sliced enough muscles.

The Fall Maiden's Aura continued to rebuild itself indefinitely on Jaune's own body. His Semblance continued to heal the wounded Aura with his own, binding it to him _and_ keeping it aflame with a much smaller investment of energy. When they fought the first time, Hazel attacked in a fury and burned a few holes in Jaune's defense, motivated by his need for revenge on Ozpin. So far Hazel hadn't shown more than mild annoyance at his adversary, and had yet to push himself.

That worked against Hazel and the big bruiser didn't even realize it. Jaune barely had to exert himself to keep his Aura aglow and had no major wounds to patch. Hazel had a larger than average amount of Aura too, but with the power Jaune had…

Jaune was flung over Hazel's head again. The throw was every bit as strong now as it had been when the fight started, but Hazel wasn't yet aware how much strain he put on the tendons attaching his bicep… and how eventually he wouldn't be able to lift his arm at all.

All Jaune had to do was take a beating longer than Hazel could… and Hazel wouldn't even realize he was beaten until it was far too late.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ren had tried to gain as much information as he could from the three girls in Jaune's room. Their memories were imperfect and they actively avoided thinking about the past wherever possible, but he was able to gain _some_ insight. He had a rough idea of the timeline for Jaune's actions and a general idea of when Cinder and her team had infiltrated Beacon, and the unorthodox method Cinder used to acquire Maiden powers for herself… albeit secondhand from Emerald, who remained the most whole and coherent out of all of them.

More importantly, Ren had been able to confirm something he'd already suspected: that Salem had betrayed one group of followers already when a more promising group of allies came along. Whatever claims she'd made to being family, Ren was now certain they were empty platitudes. It gave him reason to continue fighting these strange thoughts creeping up in the back of his mind; these strange wishes to listen to Salem and accept her offer of becoming family.

"…would you like some time alone with these girls, Spring Knight?"

Ren whirled around, surprised to be caught off-guard. When he saw Blake standing in the hallway outside Jaune's room, watching him plaintively through the dull gray mask, Ren was able to relax himself, if only partially. Of all the people who might be able to sneak up on him… yes, Blake made sense.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me," Ren greeted, stepping past the three girls in Jaune's room and reluctantly leaving them to their torpor. He shut the heavy wooden door and turned his attention firmly to Blake. "Do you have time to talk?"

"If you like," Blake agreed. "The Queen just told me what she had in mind for us... and how she plans to celebrate the marriage."

Ren did his best not to be too bothered. "I'm… not planning on marrying you, Blake. I only wanted to-"

Blake interceded, moving a hand to his shoulder to firmly grasp Ren's attention. "Salem told me she'd give me Raven Branwen if I'd be your wife. Please, Spring Knight."

She was still driven by revenge… so consumed by it she was willing to marry someone she hadn't known –at least in this world- and Ren had to try and dissuade her, lest she press him as much as Salem had. "Killing her won't bring him back."

Blake retracted her hand from Ren's shoulder and she was quiet for several moments. Her mask kept most of her emotions carefully concealed, but the little changes in her breathing and the slight shifts in her lips betrayed that she ran through quite a gamut: frustration, doubt, anger… Ren's attempt to dissuade her had only vexed her.

"I only mean that it's not worth it," Ren quickly clarified. "That I'd… that you and I…"

He wasn't even sure where to start. Why was Salem pushing them together anyway? What did she gain from this?

"I mean once you have your revenge, what then?" Ren asked. "You remain shackled to me forever?"

Blake attempted to reassure him. "I… I would do what I can to be good for you, Spring Knight…"

"Stop calling me that," Ren requested, the slightest hint of emotion seeping through his practiced calm. "Please."

Blake watched him carefully. Ren sighed and slid down to the floor, resting his back against the stone wall. "I'm sorry," Blake offered, clearly searching for something more complex to say.

Ren refocused on his mission. Time was of the essence, and he was wasting time trying to poke holes in Salem's scheme to marry him off… or marry Blake off to him… or whatever other terrible machinations she had in mind. He had to talk to her about Atlas, to try and send a warning.

"Blake… would you be willing to do something for me?" Ren asked.

"Of course, Sp- of course," Blake answered.

Ren looked up at her. Her mask kept her eyes carefully hidden, but the slight hesitation in her voice… she may well have been expecting something… _unsavory_.

"Can you speak to your friends in the White Fang?" Ren asked. "Can they send a message to Atlas?"

"Atlas?" Blake repeated. "Why?"

Ren wasn't sure what to reveal to her. If she was keen to go along with Salem's requests, it may not have been wise to ask this of her. With Salem dangling the revenge Blake sought right in front of her, Blake had been willing to marry him… and whatever Ren _might_ have been able to offer her, whatever Ren might be able to appeal to in her, he couldn't hope to match Salem's offer.

This was _not_ the Blake he knew, not the girl who left the White Fang and chose to defend the world from harm rather than inflict more on it. The one before him now was driven by vengeance… what would the loss of another kingdom mean to her when the target of her wrath was close at hand?

He had to believe that she was a better person than that… had to remember he'd _seen_ the better person she could be in the world he'd come from.

"Blake, whatever Salem promised you, she'll only keep her word if it's convenient for her," Ren explained. "Those girls in there? Salem promised one of them something too, and then gave her to… I don't know, gave her up, or sacrificed her. She'll do the same to you."

"She _has_ done the same to me," Blake dryly replied. "I thought she'd leave us alone after we attacked the kingdoms for her. I thought when I brought you here she'd send me away and that would be that."

"You see?" Ren asked, trying to push the point. "You didn't want to marry me, you didn't want to get dragged into this –whatever this is Salem's planning- and you…"

That was the wrong path to take. He needed to focus elsewhere. "Blake… before this… before _all_ of this, you told me you wanted to go to Beacon."

Blake's mask couldn't quite hide her doubt. When she'd mentioned it before, Blake had dismissed it as a weakness; a moment when her conviction wavered and she might've lost sight from her mission in the White Fang.

"You remember that, don't you?" Ren pressed. "You remember wanting to be a Huntress; wanting to help people?"

"What does that have to do with Atlas?" Blake wondered, before changing tack. "Why are you asking me this?"

"I'm asking if this is _really_ what you want," Ren hastily replied. "I'm asking if you need revenge _so_ badly you're willing to just give Salem everything she wants and let her… use you, discard you if she wants to."

"Is _Salem_ the one who will use me?" Blake asked him.

Ren wasn't sure how to reply. What was he supposed to say, that one of the humans she distrusted –and was only speaking to because of her fear of Salem- was going to help her? Could Ren do _anything_ to help Blake while he was trapped in this nightmarish alternate world?

Yes. He could _always_ help, in one way or another. If only even a small amount…

"I won't force you to do anything," Ren replied. "I'm not asking you to do this _for_ _me_ , I'm not trying to exploit you or impose upon you. I just…"

Ren had tried to explain to her they'd met at Beacon and shared the common goal of becoming hunters and working for the benefit of everyone. But he hadn't quite committed and told her about the other world he came from, and the better Blake he knew within it.

"…I just know you can be better than this, Blake," Ren finally explained. "Where I came from, you weren't driven by revenge, you didn't kill anyone who hadn't earned it with their misdeeds. You were a better person than that. You were driven by something else… something… nobler."

"Why do you keep insisting that you know me, Spring Knight?" Blake asked.

"Because I did!" Ren exclaimed. "Because… because I'm _not_ this Spring Knight you keep alluding to. I'm _not_ the man who fought with Raven Branwen or killed my partner or-or whatever it is Salem is trying to mold me into. This isn't my world… and I wish I'd told you sooner, but I didn't think you'd believe it; I thought it'd lead you to mistrust everything I said."

For a long time Blake just stared at him, sitting on the ground. He wasn't wrong… if he _had_ claimed to come from another world when they met in her throne room, Blake would've thought him a madman. The incoherent rambling he'd spoken before this reveal had certainly led Blake to wonder if her future husband would end up murdering her too, as he had his partner.

But this man spared Ilia's life after he defeated her. He kept espousing a firm belief that Blake hadn't always been so… pragmatic as she was now. He seemed surprised when Salem reached out to embrace him.

And just a few moments before, Salem alluded to _another_ Raven Branwen… very pointedly _after_ Blake left the room and the queen thought her words private.

Blake sat down beside him. Even she wasn't sure what she was going to do next… but her curiosity was winning out over that pragmatism. The former had always been there; the latter was an acquired taste.

"Tell me about this other Beacon," Blake requested. "And this other me."

* * *

 _Haven Academy_

Hazel's breathing was growing increasingly labored, but Jaune was showing no visible signs of fatigue. He'd entered the fight expecting to squash the boy with relative ease and move on with his day, but now…

"I underestimated you," Hazel admitted, reaching his arms up to remove his tailcoat. Hazel searched his pockets for the Dust crystals, preparing to infuse himself with powerful elements to counteract the boy's enormous Aura. He selected two Lightning Dust shards, figuring that no matter how great his foe's defense, an electrical shock could still distort him.

Hazel jammed each crystal into his arms, charging his body with energy. Jaune looked on, smirking to himself and charging in to attack again, the metal in Crocea Mors drawing the electricity to the surface of the blade as he struck.

Finally Hazel had started to damage his own body… his own self-destruction was speeding up the process and drawing Jaune's victory closer.

The tendons In Hazel's arms were already tearing from the bone. Electricity running through his bloodstream and his wild, swinging punches would lead them to snap off.

Jaune refocused attention to Hazel's legs, hacking away at the ligaments in his knees. Just as Hazel wouldn't be able to lift his arms, once Jaune finished his work, Hazel wouldn't even be able to stand.

An electricity charged fist struck the side of Jaune's head and drove him into the floor, his body still sparking from the discharge. Every blow had hurt, but Hazel finally managed to poke through Jaune's Aura by enhancing his attacks.

Too little, too late. All Jaune had to do was hold out a few minutes more… and his opponent would tear himself to shreds.

On the sidelines, Cinder considered her options. If Jaune were bested now, what would become of the Maiden Aura he'd somehow taken within him? Would it leave him for a new vessel? Would Hazel be open to sparing him long enough for Cinder to step in and steal that power from his defeated rival?

But then, when she spit fire at Jaune and saw him absorb the attack with his shining Aura, something in the blazing light felt… familiar to her. Cinder remembered the same color flames dancing in her hand, before she'd absorbed the latter half of Amber's power… before she completed her ascension and became the Fall Maiden. Jaune… it seemed he _somehow_ had the same powers she did.

Which made Cinder wonder if she could gain those powers a second time… or…

Her single eye shifted to Lie Ren, watching the battle with cool indifference. He'd certainly be a softer target than Jaune, given how he'd broken down at the sight of one of the Beacon kids and been rendered a sputtering mess. Emerald could distract him and Cinder could steal his powers away… possibly even take _both_ their powers, after Jaune was worn down fighting Hazel.

But then, if Jaune _won_ , if he was powerful enough to defeat one of Salem's handpicked lieutenants…

Her focus shifted to Ruby Rose. If Cinder was going to take the silver-eyed brat away from her protectors –including two trained hunters and possibly even Pyrrha Nikos- she'd need power, and pitting three distinct powers against her enemies rather than chancing combining them in herself did seem the wiser course… at least for the moment.

Though it remained to be seen which of them would-

Hazel charged at Jaune. He stumbled mid-step but carried on, unaware of the reason he'd lost momentum. The big brute tried to swing a punch but couldn't raise his arm.

Jaune bashed Hazel with his shield and then cut into Hazel's other leg. Hazel tumbled backwards, landing hard on his back on the floor. He attempted to right himself, but couldn't put any weight onto either his arms or legs… leaving him to flop around on his back, trying to gain enough momentum to force himself back up, but his legs couldn't hold him and he just tumbled backwards again.

Jaune stepped over and pressed his foot down on Hazel's chest, leveling Crocea Mors to his throat. Hazel glared up at him, while Jaune looked positively gleeful from somewhere within his fiery Aura. "I told you how this was going to end," Jaune smugly reminded him.

Hazel remained defiant, lying on the ground. "Do it, then. Better than listening to your smart mouth."

"Oh, you want me to?" Jaune asked. "Good to know…"

Lie rushed over, catching Jaune's wrist before he was tempted to deliver the finish. "That'll do. You've made your point."

Jaune scoffed. "Please tell me you're not dumb enough to let him live."

"He's still in the Queen's service here," Lie reminded him. "So yes, he lives. And as you wished, Salem has lost her means of dispatching us."

Cinder raised an eyebrow. She remembered Jaune mentioning to Hazel that he expected Salem to send him to kill the two knights, but she _also_ recalled Salem instructing herself and Watts to work with them in their mission to capture Raven Branwen…

Salem hadn't told her anything that contradicted that last order, so for the moment at least, Cinder would continue to play along… unfortunate for Hazel, but she saw which way the wind was blowing.

"Are you done making your point?" Cinder asked.

Jaune turned to look at her, unceremoniously stepping off Hazel's chest and walking over to her. "For the moment."

"Good," Cinder nodded. "Then pick up our friend there and bring him along… Hazel can stay with our friends in the White Fang until he can recover from that… unfortunate misunderstanding you two shared."

"You did mention you had a plan," Lie acknowledged.

"Oh, always," Cinder assured him. "As it happens, Emerald made a point to learn about our friends from Beacon during our time there… and she found just the thing to draw Ruby Rose out of hiding… and it's something our friend Adam Taurus can put to _very_ good use."

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

It seemed fantastic to Blake's ears- both sets of them. Yet at the same time, the tales were incredibly enticing… of Blake initially passing as a human (exactly as she intended to when she first created her application to Beacon) before her teammates learned the truth about her and _still_ accepted her as their friend, even after they knew she'd fought for the White Fang.

Blake had a _bit_ of trouble believing Ren's claim that one of her teammates had been Weiss Schnee, the Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, but Ren was adamant in his claims and his stories were consistent… though by his own admission some of his claims were secondhand. He mentioned Blake meeting a nice Faunus boy from Shade Academy and how close she became with her partner, though their names sailed right over her head and she hadn't managed to commit the words to memory. She asked Ren to go into detail, and was surprised to imagine herself being interested in blondes…

Which gradually led her to ask what became of Adam in that life, and for the first time, Ren hesitated to answer her. She pressed him, but Ren was increasingly wary… until finally he acknowledged: "Adam led the White Fang in an attack on Beacon. He… seriously hurt Yang."

Which one was Yang again? The one with the silver eyes?

"You were devastated by it," Ren continued. "I was sitting a few feet away from you, waiting to board a transport out of Beacon to a safe zone. You were holding her hand and just kept saying you were sorry over and over…"

Blake had held many hands of the injured –and the dying- during her battles on Salem's behalf. The first time she did so she'd been a stuttering mess of nerves and emotion. The most recent instance had seen Blake well-practiced and firm in her resolve.

She casually glanced down at her hand resting on her hip, turning it over to look at her palm. How long had it been since she'd held a hand and _not_ known whether she'd ever grasp it again? How long had it been since she reached out with raw emotion rather than jaded calculation?

She pushed that thought away. She stopped thinking about this girl she'd never met and thought back to what Ren had hesitated to explain.

"Why did Adam do these things?" Blake asked.

"He's… I've never met him personally, I only know him by reputation," Ren admitted. "But he unleashed Grimm on people at Beacon. He slaughtered innocent civilians as readily as he killed Huntsmen."

Blake didn't begrudge him the first act. She'd used Grimm on Vale… she'd all but destroyed the kingdom with the monsters, and had a great deal of innocent blood on her hands with the civilians caught unaware or abandoned by their council as they fled to safety.

Innocent people died on her order, but they were collateral damage… acceptable sacrifices. And they never failed to keep her up at night, when her resolve wavered and she remembered Adam wasn't there to see the victory she'd achieved.

"You make him sound so horrible," Blake thought, "but he was a good man. He fought for equality… he punished humanity for their misdeeds. He didn't _enjoy_ cruelty."

She was grateful for the mask. When she looked at Ren's pink eyes, she thought he might see the _slightest_ doubt looking back at him, were there anything but gray plaster looking back… and blood to remind him of her devotion.

But Ren was convinced there was something more to her than just her belief in the White Fang. He just had kindness enough not to call her out.

Eventually, however, Ren _did_ ask: "Is this what _he_ wanted for you?"

Certainly Adam would've become enraged at the thought of her marrying a human, even if it had been at Salem's command. Adam's last words to her had been to carry on his legacy, to finish what he'd begun… and the work wasn't done yet, but…

She'd wanted to leave him because of how he'd fallen, how his hand slipped away from hers'. Blake knew he'd been getting worse, and had been prepared to abandon him, to abandon her dream, to do better…

And in another world, she _had_. And Adam lived… but the monster she'd seen shades of before only became worse, became more terrible without her.

"Did I still love him, at Beacon?" Blake asked. "In your world, did I still talk about him?"

"I don't know," Ren admitted. "We were… we were friends, but you didn't confide in me about him. I knew something was on your mind occasionally, you were often deep in thought and distant from the rest of us. I knew you were carrying something with you, but I never knew exactly what."

That sounded right to her. She still carried Adam with her now, and only rarely did she slip up enough to confide her doubts and fears in anyone. Blake couldn't recall the last time she ever spoke of him to her comrades… at least until Salem told her to bring the Spring Knight back to her castle.

Until he stood before her, in a seat Adam was meant to occupy, and said he knew her…

Blake reached up with one hand to her mask and slowly unclasped it from her face. She hadn't let a human see her eyes since Adam's death… but she wanted to look upon what she had left of his face while she thought of him. She wanted to see him, if only for a moment.

Ren glanced over at her. Amber eyes just like he remembered… red and puffy from a few too many recent tears, and squinting slightly even in the dim castle light.

Ren watched her for several seconds, speculating on the course of action he should take. He still needed to persuade her to send warning to Atlas, but… at the moment he was more drawn to finally seeing her face again, and thought that if he reminded her of his wish for help Blake might think he'd gotten her to open up only for his own gain, and not out of any genuine desire to help her.

He also wondered if that was more of Salem's influence… but no. Salem may have spoken many pretty words, but she had no wish to help anyone but herself. She wouldn't want to help Blake deal with her loss and her grief… she meant to silence Blake's doubts with the promise of vengeance. Salem may have wanted Blake to marry Ren, but she wouldn't be motivated to help Ren try and heal Blake of her sorrow.

Ren was slow in reaching out, tentative in his effort… when he took hold of Blake's free hand still open and resting on her hip. Blake's Faunus ears stood up straight as she whirled around to look at him with those big amber eyes…

She then looked down at the hand holding her own. Ren's grip was light… he was waiting to see how she reacted. He was giving her the ability to cast him away.

She looked at the mask in her other hand, of the blood running down the plaster… of the brutality Adam had spent his life wallowing in… and ended within its river of blood and ash.

The plaster was cold in her fingers. The hand grasping her own was much warmer.

Blake looked up at Ren again and the soft smile he offered her. She felt it welling up in her, letting emotion have its say once again… allowing herself to feel, despite the uncertainty of it.

She squeezed tightly, and Ren returned the gesture, the two sitting quietly together against the stone wall.

* * *

 _Mistral, White Fang Headquarters_

Adam had enjoyed making them wait a little while he lounged in his throne. He had no intention of refusing to let Salem's servants in… he only wanted to remind them of his status and make them show him due respect. As no one barged in the door in the few minutes Adam spent finding the most comfortable groove in his seat, he was content with their display of patience and lazily waved to his guards to show them in.

Cinder entered first, flanked by her disciple Emerald. Three others followed after them, carrying the brutish Hazel on their shoulders before planting him on the ground, far from the elevated steps before the High Leader's throne.

Adam was quite amused at the sight of Salem's former representative to him lying on the floor. "Seen better days, Hazel?"

Hazel didn't reply with anything more than a scowl. Cinder, meanwhile, stepped forward to address him. "We've come up with a plan for Haven, Adam… and we have a proposal that the White Fang will be _very_ interested in hearing."

Adam knew Cinder had a silver tongue; no doubt this would cost him something. Still, Salem was likely to ask only once… "Go on."

"We have a plan to add to your destruction of Haven by putting a face on all the suffering," Cinder explained. "My… associates and I think we might be able to draw out some targets of ours if we put a certain someone in danger."

"And what –exactly- will the White Fang need to contribute to this plan of yours?" Adam asked. "What would you ask of the High Leader?"

Cinder permitted Adam his boasts. "Only that you draw attention to yourselves and take responsibility for your actions… I think you're going to like what we have in mind."

Her own allies eyed Cinder warily. Adam suspected they hadn't been filled in on all the details… it was his turn to indulge Cinder her theatricality.

"One of the children who survived the Fall of Beacon made it all the way here to Mistral, and I thought you might want to deal with her in a very public way… as her family has been a thorn in your side for so long," Cinder explained stepping up to his throne. "Tell me, Adam… how would you like to publicly execute the heiress to the Schnee Dust company on the same day you destroy Haven Academy?"

Adam knew Cinder was playing him; she wasn't offering him these prizes because it solely benefitted the White Fang. But it was a _very_ juicy meal she was offering…

Adam leaned back in his seat and smiled.

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

Weiss poked around the fridge for something suitable, but it seemed that all Qrow and Ruby had been eating had been junk food, with a few healthier vegetables left as naught but raw materials sitting in crisper drawers. It was unfortunate they didn't have Ren on hand; he'd work miracles with what few ingredients hadn't spoiled and make something healthy _and_ tasty for their group.

The thought left Weiss feeling down. Pyrrha's unexpected return had boosted her spirits immensely, until she was brought up to speed by Ruby and Yang about the strange business of moving back and forth between multiple Remnants. What had at first seemed a miraculous return now served as a reminder of those they'd lost.

Weiss tried to be grateful for what she'd found upon her arrival in Mistral. When Ruby and Yang embraced her after she stepped in the door, Weiss hadn't thought about whether she was hungry or cold or tired: she was _home_ with the people she loved, and that was all the sustenance and comfort she needed.

But staring inside this fridge Weiss couldn't help but think she hadn't found _all_ of them. She hadn't yet raised the subject –far too much had been going on- but she _did_ wonder what became of Blake, and of Team CFVY… even that vagabond Sun Wukong and his teammates. And now she wondered if she'd ever see Ren again, or if she would ever meet this apparently terrifying doppelganger of him who struck such intense fear in Raven and apparently abducted Ruby in the other world.

The fight against Salem had already cost them the life of one of their friends, despite the Pyrrha Nikos up and walking around through the house. Who else would they lose along the way? Was Ren lost forever? Would anyone else be killed or taken if Salem's forces attacked them again?

It was all so strange for her to think on… Ruby had this information the longest, catching Yang up first and then Weiss when she and Pyrrha finally arrived. Weiss knew Grimm could evolve and grow more intelligent with time to the point of complex decision making… but the prospect of someone _commanding_ them like an army was genuinely terrifying. And that anyone –in one Remnant or another- would be insane enough to ally themselves with Grimm willingly, and those people were now directly targeting Ruby…

Weiss shut the fridge door and headed back to Ruby's room, where the silver-eyed girl seemed to have settled in for the night. Weiss had intended to offer her a coffee –even if it pained her to make one sugary enough Ruby might actually drink- but she was relieved to see her partner asleep. From what Ruby recounted to her, the past few days had been troubling for her, and between assassination attempts and friends disappearing and people trying to kidnap her, no doubt Ruby had become quite exhausted from sleepless nights and incessantly worrying about everyone all the time.

Weiss sat beside Ruby on the bed, careful not to disturb her. Ruby had told Weiss about her multitude of adventures in Anima over the past several months, and how she'd bonded anew with her new makeshift Team RNJR. Weiss couldn't help but be jealous, thinking on how –while she'd have _hated_ camping out in the wilderness night after night- she would've liked to be with her friends rather than the prison her family home had become.

Looking down at Ruby, Weiss couldn't help but feel it again… that reminder she was where she wished to be, and still had something important to hold.

There was still those they'd lost, of course… and Weiss sincerely hoped they'd lose no one else. She had so little family as it was, and she might enjoy adding to it as Ruby had.

* * *

Oscar glanced at Yang and Nora, still clashing weapons in the cold night air. He had to admire Yang's persistence… she was quite determined to improve, and it probably helped take Nora's mind off matters and burned off some of her energy.

Pyrrha had warned him it would take her a long time to find what she called 'the gap' and she'd be sitting on the ground searching through the planet's magnetic field, leaving Oscar to his thoughts and what lay ahead for them…

 _Still haven't decided what you're going to do?_ Ozpin asked him.

"Still going back and forth," Oscar admitted, trying to keep his voice down so as not to disturb Pyrrha. "I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to believe. Why do _you_ think you –uh, the other you- would send her here?"

 _I want to believe my other self isn't the monster Raven paints him as. I want to think even if I did return to Salem I'd do so for some good, not to join her in spreading ill._

"So you _would_ go back to her?" Oscar asked. "You would return to her, knowing what she's done?"

 _We cannot help but feel how we feel,_ Ozpin explained. _It doesn't mean I can overlook her crimes; nor does it mean I will allow myself to forgive her. But if I could –if I ever believed it were possible- I would at least ask her forgiveness for my mistake._

"Oh?" Oscar asked. "You mean leaving her?"

 _Leaving her wasn't my error._

"Wait… what are you talking about?" Oscar wondered.

Before Ozpin could elaborate however, Oscar faintly heard Pyrrha mutter: "That's odd…"

Though curious about what history lesson Ozpin meant to impart, Oscar turned his focus back to Pyrrha. "What is it?"

"A _second_ gap," Pyrrha explained. "Here, in Mistral…"

She drew her finger along the ground. "Larger than the one in Vale… _much_ larger."

She followed the magnetic pull towards its source… towards a shining light gradually tearing at the fabric, burning through the darkness and stretching the gap further. Pyrrha followed the trail led by her fingers inside, to a single point… very near her, still rich with bright, shining Aura even after a sizable donation to save a life.

Pyrrha tried not to think his name. She tried not to point the finger at the source of the damage being done.

Instead she refocused her attention to Oscar and said: "And it's getting wider."


	14. Special

**Chapter Fourteen: Special**

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

Yang finally returned to the house, leaning on the wall a bit as she headed inside. Nora had stopped to catch up with Pyrrha when she and Oscar stepped out, and as near as Yang could tell Nora still had plenty of energy to burn off. Maybe Pyrrha could tag in and help her with that, but for the moment Yang was ready to get some rest.

She wasn't sure exactly how much she'd improved through the course of the day, but even a little bit more stamina could make a difference the next time she found herself in the fight. Yang didn't think she'd become a match to Mercury overnight, but she also didn't think the gap was impossible to overcome… certainly not after she improved so significantly training with her father in Patch.

Yang didn't know how long she had to rest before fighting resumed; she hadn't expected to be thrust back into it so quickly, but it was part and parcel of the career path she'd chosen. And of course, knowing the enemy they kept encountering was specifically targeting her baby sister made for a powerful motivator to keep working harder and stay as sharp as she could.

Yang thought she'd check in on Ruby before she got cleaned up and went to bed. She passed by Qrow lying on one of the couches in the living room, his flask resting on his stomach with its cap askew… no points for guessing what he'd been up to while Yang was training. But of far greater interest than her uncle was his twin, standing awkwardly in the hallway just outside of Ruby's room, poking her head in the door and looking on, quiet… almost timid, as she occasionally seemed to lean far enough she may as well have stepped inside.

Yang stood awkwardly for several seconds, thinking on how to approach. She could probably guess what Raven was doing… though it _still_ took her by surprise to see her mother watching Ruby like a hawk. That was Yang's job… and before that, Summer's. It had never been Raven's burden to bear, because Yang could never recall Raven ever carrying any burdens at all.

She could be appreciative of this _other_ Raven on the occasions Yang could disassociate her from the stories Taiyang told her about her mother, but looking right at her, seeing so much of herself in Raven's features –and her actions- it was hard for Yang to reconcile the woman was _not_ her mother and never had been. Yang could feel understanding, even sympathy when she thought about this other Raven and the Remnant she hailed from in the abstract, but up close and personal… it was hard to disbelieve what you could see and touch.

Yang finally walked over to her and joined her at the door, watching Ruby sleeping contentedly in her bed, Weiss snoozing on a chair beside her. Yang could certainly understand why Raven might find the sight captivating: it warmed her heart to see it too.

"What was it like?" Yang asked. "For you, and her, and Dad?"

She'd always wanted to know what it might've been. And Raven's answer would be something Yang would never know… but hopefully something she could picture.

Raven sighed wistfully. "She… changed me. From the moment I laid eyes on her. It wasn't Tai I fell in love with; it was her."

Raven tapped gently beside the doorframe with her left hand and leaned against it. "I came when I heard Summer had disappeared. She and Tai were still my closest friends, even if I hadn't been around for a while. Ozpin kept insisting she was dead –but then, he _knew_ \- but Tai couldn't just accept it. He couldn't believe she was gone when someone who looked so much like her was lying in a cradle next to his bed."

Yang remembered the sight of her father when Qrow brought the news. She never thought she could see the bright blue in his eyes look so dull and dark. She never thought such a tall man could look so small curled up in a bed or sunk into a chair.

"I held him for a bit, tried to be supportive, but I didn't plan on staying," Raven recounted. "I was going to help him get back on his feet, maybe stop in more than I had to make sure he held it together… until I saw Ruby for the first time."

Yang had no recollection of events prior to Ruby's birth. Even at two years old, that moment of a silver light emerging in the world stood out. For her, life began on that day, because that was as far back as she could remember.

"She looked just like Summer… I'm sure you know," Raven added. "Summer was already seventeen when I met her, but Ruby was _exactly_ what I thought she'd look like as a child. And Summer…"

Yang listened intently. Her father and Qrow had told her a few stories about Team STRQ, but never seemed to bring up the friendship between Summer and Raven. She wasn't entirely sure either of them really understood it, given how hesitant they were to share.

"Summer was the first time I liked someone for a reason other than their strength or their intelligence or their utility," Raven explained. "Summer was the first person who was different to an ally, or a family I was always stuck with… she was my _friend_. I couldn't _help_ but be her friend; she wouldn't have it any other way, no matter how much I fought against it, no matter how much I tried to deny it."

Summer always did get her way. Something about the sweetness of her smile, from what Yang could recall.

"I never wanted a child," Raven admitted. "I wanted to return to my tribe, to go back to the world I knew. But when I saw her, when she _looked up at me_ … I saw the only piece of my friend still left in the world. Maybe Tai could've raised her by himself and she'd still be safe, still be happy… but I didn't want to leave her. I _couldn't_."

Yang looked past Raven to the sleeping Ruby. It was easy for Yang to see every difference between them… but in the right light, when she said the right set of words, when Yang pictured what her sister would look like ten years down the road… she saw a lot of the mother they'd both lost.

"I didn't marry Tai right away," Raven continued. "But I was just so… when I held her in my arms, when I'd sit her in my lap, when I'd bring her into my bed and have her sleep beside me… I wanted her to be _my_ child. I wanted her to think of me as her mother. And… dork though he is, of all the men I'd met, Tai certainly had his moments."

Yang would often bring Ruby into her bed when her little sister had trouble sleeping. She never once thought of herself as Ruby's mother, but after Summer's departure, Yang had to step up and be as close as she could.

"It took a while to get used to it, but in time I got used to having him around," Raven continued. "I remembered briefly considering it when we were partners at Beacon… I knew he had a thing for me, but I also knew Summer was interested in him then. I came very close to letting him wear me down… but I had this strange feeling like…"

"Like… what?" Yang wondered.

"Like it wasn't meant to be," Raven explained. "Then I married him anyway. Funny how things work out."

Yang had heard faint rumblings about her dad's interest in Raven when they were students, but never a concrete recounting of the tale. Summer had told her that her dad had other girls interested in him back at school, but it all seemed so strange to her then…

Raven sighed, removing herself from the door frame. "You should get some rest. Tomorrow we're going to try and figure out where the Spring Knight ran off to… once we know, we're throwing everything we can at Salem's followers."

Yang looked over at Ruby. She felt her left hand shaking again, thinking about trying to protect her, thinking about how she lay on the ground with Mercury and evil incarnations of her friends standing over her…

Yang slid her left hand behind her back before Raven saw her trembling. "Yeah. Good talk."

Raven stepped aside so Yang could join her teammates. She took a long look at the girl's long mane of blonde hair as she stepped past.

She envisioned it then, for the briefest moment: a girl who looked so much like her with Tai's blonde hair and eyes that melded his blue and her red. She saw herself leaving that child and Tai, never being the mother that girl would need and Summer stepping in to fill the void…

Raven slowly stepped away and closed the door.

* * *

Neo woke after a few hours of peaceful, dreamless sleep. She glanced over at Jaune, asleep in a chair beside her bed, still keeping vigil over her long after he'd passed out.

She slid up and winced ever so slightly, reaching down to hold her midsection. Not fully healed yet, still feeling the effects of coming so very close to the end…

It had been a very long time since she owed her life to anyone. She could only recall one instance, of a man reaching a helping hand down to a starving urchin with no idea how she'd found herself there or where she'd come from…

She'd felt death reach out to take hold of her, and then this blonde boy pulled her back before it could close its grip. The last time someone saved her life Neo became wholly devoted to him and came to regard him as family.

Despite the pain in her abdomen, Neo insisted on removing herself from the bed and moving closer to him. It hurt to stand upright, but she wanted to be close enough to properly look at him. She wanted to hear his breathing and see his chest rise and fall. She wanted to reach a hand down to feel his stomach, as his big hands had pressed to hers' and mended her wound. She wanted to press her forehead to his, as he had when he begged her to return to life.

He'd forced her to value his life before that by demonstrating the common bond they shared of loss and grief. She already knew he was different to all the others she'd entered into this strange alliance with, because he was something more than just a means to an end.

Now he was more than just a bond. He was…

He was much closer to her age than Roman had been. The warmth in his hands and the strength of his embrace when he'd carried her all felt like a very different bond than what she'd known before… or what she'd known with Roman.

He wasn't Roman. He was…

He was…

Neo didn't want to stand any longer. But she didn't want to climb back into that bed and be alone. She wasn't alone any longer.

She was grateful for her short stature then. It let her settle into his lap without needing to adjust too much. She just found her groove and rested there upon him.

It felt good to entrust her life to someone else again. It felt good to not be alone- more even than that, to be held and tended to and watched over and cared for…

It should've been agony, trying to contortion herself into that small space with the wound still throbbing in her stomach. But feeling his chest rise and fall, listening to his quiet breaths… she found sleep as quickly as she left it, safe with the man she now gave her life to.

* * *

 _Mistral, White Fang Headquarters_

Emerald thought she should get some sleep, but she was wary of… pretty much all of her so-called _allies_ save for Cinder and Mercury. Adam wasn't q _uite_ as terrifying a host as Salem, but the various White Fang soldiers seemed on edge around her; maybe that was just how they were around _any_ human. Jaune seemed pleased with himself after his battle with Hazel and seemed to have found a room to retire for the evening, but given the looks and comments he'd sent her way, Emerald didn't feel at _all_ comfortable sleeping anywhere in his vicinity. If Cinder couldn't protect her from him and Hazel couldn't overpower him…

Instead she devoted herself to perfecting her illusion. Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee had rejoined Ruby Rose, but curiously absent from their number had been their fourth teammate… the Faunus defector from the White Fang. If the sight of _anyone_ could draw one of the three out of their hiding place…

Emerald hadn't seen the Faunus girl since the destruction of Beacon. The image she was projecting had to be out of date, so she was devoting some time to the small details… the little scar Adam had made in her stomach, some frizziness in her hair after months away from an academy and wandering the wilderness, a weathered look to her clothing…

Cinder wanted her to draw out the Schnee heiress and use her as bait to lure out Ruby Rose. Adam had been promised a sacrifice, and he'd get it one way or another… the only question left to ponder was the exact order of events.

Would Weiss Schnee be the one to try and recover her friend? Would it be the Faunus girl's old partner Yang Xiao Long? Or would Ruby Rose herself recklessly rush out to save the day?

One thing would lead to another, and Emerald desperately wished to see it done. It had been sobering enough to learn Cinder was not invincible and answered to an even more terrifying master… the thought of being an expendable asset easily discarded –or sacrificed to the whims of someone more valuable at the time- led her to focus on completing this mission as quickly and efficiently as possible. She wanted these knights to go back wherever they came from, and to continue being valued by Cinder… to repay all Cinder had done for her. It just seemed so much more dangerous than it had before, and before she'd been watching on as innocent people suffered so Cinder could make herself more powerful. Watching the fall of Beacon, Emerald took solace only in the personal loyalty she felt with Cinder and Mercury.

Thinking of Hazel, strung up and put on display like one of the huntsmen Salem sent him to kill, Emerald wondered if he'd ever felt a similar bond with Salem or any of the others who sat at her table. If he'd once believed that whatever horrible deeds he had to do, he could count on others to value his life and his contribution.

Emerald was far less powerful. Surely it was only a matter of time until someone stepped in and offered Salem –or even Cinder- a useful talent and fighting ability that surpassed her own. Emerald had been threatened enough by Cinder's invitation to Mercury to join her… and then threatened again by Torchwick and Neo, the latter of whom was now aiding Ruby Rose and her friends against them.

If Cinder presented Salem with a relic, hopefully Emerald would demonstrate her worth when she stood at her mistress's back. But if they failed again…

She refocused her attention on the illusion. There needed to be more pain in her eyes, more sympathy to play on… fortunately, Emerald knew how to project the feeling. She knew the look well.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

He tried and tried to remain awake. But after days in a world not his own and exhausting battles and constant tension and fear and doubt, resting with a girl he considered his friend beside him… Ren finally closed his eyes. He still needed to get warning to Atlas, but he didn't want to break the fragile trust he'd forged with Blake. He didn't want to push things too far when he'd found more of the better nature he believed she always had.

He tried not to sleep. But now that he finally felt as though he _could_ …

Ren didn't yet know if he'd been able to heal Blake of what led her down this dark path, but seeing her remove Adam's mask, seeing her look to the future without the shackles of the past impeding her vision… he felt comfortable with her, because it felt as though he finally had a friend beside him in a cold and unfamiliar place.

And _that_ was exactly what the Queen had been waiting for.

Salem wasn't sure what the context would be… but she knew her dear son. He just needed to feel safe, and his insisting on bringing Blake Belladona into the castle with him had provided her the method to reach him and finally see more than glimpses of his thoughts. Unprotected by his conscious mind and the immediate recall of memory and purpose, she could reach her hand into the dark recesses and pull out his true self.

She came to them in silence, stopping only long enough to see Blake and Lie resting together on the hallway floor. Some part of her sincerely wished Blake would come to love him, so that whenever the other Lie returned he could seamlessly take the place of this doppelganger and Blake could see the final result; the man Salem molded Lie into.

For now, however, she set to work, running her fingers over Lie's forehead. She took her time so as not to disturb him with nightmares… to not make him experience such fear as to snap awake. Instead she delved into the life he'd led, so she could clearly see the difference and know what needed to be blackened out.

The girl from Kuroyuri. He cared so deeply for her… a few short weeks beforehand she saved his life from Salem's Grimm and gave him peace of mind he'd long gone without, and Lie reached over to take her hand. He had warned Salem her attempts to soothe his troubled mind had come too late… and she was loathe to admit he may have been right. He'd found peace on his own, without Salem's hand to guide him to it.

That would not do at all. No, no, no, he was _hers'_ , he was her life to mold, her heir, her chosen future. This little orange-haired brat would not be Lie's family in her place. Even once Blake became his wife, Lie's life would still belong to Salem. No one would take him from her…

She couldn't rob him of the peace he'd found. Not quickly enough to mold him into what she wished. But she could _taint_ his happiness, instill in his memories the simplest and most powerful tool in Salem's arsenal: doubt.

He didn't know how he felt about the girl. He cared for her very deeply, but he didn't give words to his feelings. He didn't define them because he'd never had to.

She loved him. That was so clear when Salem saw Lie's memory of her watery blue eyes and the redness in her wide cheeks. The mere sight of it enraged her, but Salem spared her son that wrath. His memories, on the other hand…

He had fresher ones, more vivid. He still held the hand of a beautiful Faunus girl who rested her head to his shoulder and slumbered beside him.

Did he not wish for that? To find love and contentment and _know_ he had it? Lie may not have meant to marry this girl in this strange other world, but were the feelings of contentment any _less_ real because they came from a source he hadn't expected?

Salem pushed aside the thoughts of the starving child he embraced in Kuroyuri. Salem pushed back the hand he held riding a ship into Mistral. She drove all Lie's thoughts to the hand he held now, and the Faunus he reminded of her better nature.

The feeling wasn't the same, but Salem could make him focus on it… to think only of the recent memory, and eventually only the present… to forget the past and embrace the now. With her guiding hand, Lie would w _ant_ to remain.

For the moment, he was willing to sacrifice for Blake's sake. He'd forgotten his duty, his intent to warn Atlas of Ozpin's machinations, all so he could make her feel better… and while it wasn't quite as ideal as the dutiful son Salem had known, it was a promising enough start.

She just had to carefully weave his thoughts… and while he'd never quite be the son she'd had, he could easily be another. He could easily follow the same path.

Her actions never woke Lie. But Blake's sensitive ears were just below Ren's chin. She heard Salem scratching over the boy's forehead, and returned from slumber to listen.

Why would the queen need to find her son and heir in the dead of night? What would she need that she could not simply command?

Ren had warned her that Salem would betray them all. If she would keep secrets from someone she professed to be her own child…

Blake listened closely as Salem continued her work, searching for what the secret Salem sought to bury in the dark.

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

Ruby was careful in climbing out of bed and heading outside, Weiss and Yang still asleep, at least for the moment. She wasn't sure when they'd finally found their way in, but after the past few days they'd had… she was eager to let them rest. She'd like nothing better than to let them continue doing so. Weiss spent days in captivity with bandits and Yang was beaten up by the baddies while Ruby was stuck in this house. Neither of them were probably in the best place mentally after all they'd learned about magic and other worlds and parents and Salem and relics… sometimes it was still too much for Ruby to process, and she'd had the information far longer.

Ruby passed by her uncle Qrow still asleep on the couch. She stopped just long enough to seal his flask so he wouldn't spill any of its contents when he inevitably moved around and then took a few minutes to dig out a blanket and throw it on him. He'd just gotten over a poison and now he was self-medicating with another… Ruby would probably worry about him far less were he not always doing something reckless and dangerous. But then, she was hardly one to judge him for that…

She wasn't sure how late Nora stayed up training, but Ruby stopped by her and Ren's room long enough to make sure she got to sleep. Seeing Nora curled up in bed gave Ruby some peace of mind, even if it felt very strange to see her without Ren… or Jaune, or Pyrrha.

She wasn't sure where Pyrrha and Oscar were, but those two could handle themselves. And she was curious about where Raven was sleeping, but not sure exactly how to approach… and still not entirely comfortable around her.

The sun was out over Mistral, but just barely. It was still pretty cool outside, but Ruby wasn't eager to try and get back to sleep. She also knew some of the others might be concerned about her going outside to a wide balcony completely alone and unprotected, but she'd been cooped up inside so often she really didn't want to just keep staring at the interiors of the house. Once her friends were up she'd be happy to go back in and engage with them. Alone with her own thoughts, she'd rather sit down and watch the sunrise.

Ruby sat down in the soft dirt and looked out at the city and the horizon, thinking on what lay ahead now… about what plans Raven and Qrow came up with, about what Ozpin had told them so far and what Salem plotted while they'd slept. She'd thought she knew the weight of the world before, at Beacon and the attack by Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. But now…

Ruby had always dreamed of being a Huntress, of going out and saving the world from the monsters who would do it harm. She had envisioned herself fighting the battles alone more often than not, but even there, surrounded by friends and family, she didn't know if they had enough to win. Not when some madwoman could command the whole of the Grimm and murderers like Cinder received powers they were never meant to have and in other worlds two of her dearest friends became vicious monsters willingly serving great evil for their own gains.

It all seemed so much simpler in fairy tales. The darkness was powerful, certainly, but the hero always won out in the end. Good always triumphed over evil.

She loved hearing those stories. Every night her sister would read them to her…

"You're up early."

Ruby whirled around and spotted Yang standing behind her, a few feet from the door. Ruby smiled at her sister. "Hey sis."

"Boop," Yang replied, peeking down over Ruby's head. Ruby giggled as Yang sat down beside her, watching the sun climb higher.

"What are you doing up?" Ruby wondered.

"Couldn't sleep," Yang admitted. "Had a lot on my mind."

Ruby half-expected Weiss or Nora to join them, and glanced around as though expecting someone else to emerge at any moment. "I'll bet," she agreed. "Between your mom… and Neo… and these knights and everything Oscar told you…"

"Actually, that wasn't what I was thinking about, weirdly enough," Yang replied. "I was thinking about you."

"Oh?" Ruby wondered, smiling fondly.

"Yeah," Yang nodded. "Raven and I talked about it last night. Really put things in perspective for me. All this talk about magic and Grimm and reincarnation… yeah, it's all so strange and hard to believe, but it's not what's special to me." She sidled closer to Ruby and put an arm around her. "I've always told you how special you are. Now I've got more proof than I ever wanted…"

Ruby squirmed under her sister's arm. "Well, I'm glad you two could agree on something."

"Of all the things I could talk to my mom about," Yang whimsically replied. "It's… I don't know how to describe it, because I _know_ it's not her… not the same woman who left me. But I can't just see past that, can't just be around her and I know she doesn't deserve that. It's not like I blame Jaune because there's a jerk out there who looks just like him. For some reason I can't make the leap."

"I know what you mean," Ruby nodded. "I know she means well, but..."

Ruby didn't need to say any more. Yang held her tighter. "Just don't forget I liked you first."

Ruby laughed. "Never."

The sun climbed higher, the sisters leaning back in the dirt to watch its ascent. For a long time they just enjoyed the rising warmth and the company of their favorite person in the world…

"Weird how we ended up in Mistral," Yang mused. "Not sure I can believe it."

" _That's_ what you can't believe?" Ruby asked incredulously.

"Trust me, I've really expanded my horizons lately," Yang assured her. "Somehow traveling half a world from home seems way weirder than some alternate universe version of my mom having a problem with some alternate universe version of Ren."

Ruby laughed again. Yang was grateful she'd made the trip, if only so she could hear it again.

"And finding Weiss and Ozpin and Pyrrha again…" Ruby added, before adopting a more somber tone. "I just wish Blake could be here with us, too."

Yang's good mood soured very quickly. "Yeah, well she made her choice."

"W-what do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"I _mean_ she could've been here if she just stuck around," Yang replied, surprised by how short she was being with her sister. "It's no big deal though; we'll be fine."

Yang wasn't looking at Ruby, but she could _feel_ the concerned expression on her little sister's face. "Don't you _want_ her here?"

"Why would I want her here?" was Yang's dismissive reply.

"…are you still mad at her for leaving?"

Yang scoffed. "Oh, whatever gave you that idea, Ruby? No, I'm _totally_ fine. I'm _great_."

She felt anger welling up again. She felt that twitch coming to her left hand.

Yang wouldn't let Ruby see her anger or her doubt. Not anymore than she'd already let slip out.

She stood up. Ruby watched her warily as Yang headed inside, hesitating only for a moment. She wanted to offer Ruby some reassurance and not leave her sister to worry, but she wasn't sure she could contain her emotion. She wasn't sure she could bottle the anger in time to avoid red leaking into her eyes.

So she said nothing and stormed back inside, marching right past Raven rousing a drunken Qrow from the couch and to the nearest unoccupied room. Raven spotted the action out of the corner of her eye, then whipped her head around to spy the open backdoor, and Ruby sitting alone outside.

"Wake the others you want to bring along," Raven instructed. "I'll… catch up."

Qrow groggily nodded as Raven stepped towards the back. She wanted to tell Ruby to come inside, to scold her for going out on her own… but then, she _hadn't_ been alone moments earlier… something drove Yang from her side, something led the big sister to forget her protective instinct… and that was far more dangerous than Ruby watching the sunrise a few feet away by herself.

Raven followed after Yang down the hall. Qrow dragged himself up and put his hungover thoughts together, going first to knock on the door to Neo's room, knowing Jaune would still be at the short girl's side. He was expecting a battle when they found Salem's knights, and thought he could use someone to patch things up when they were done.

He knocked first. He heard no one beckon or rebuff him, so Qrow presumed they were both asleep…

…or Neo couldn't talk and looked quite unhappy to be interrupted from her position seated in the boy's lap, glaring daggers at Qrow with two differently colored eyes.

It was too early for this…

* * *

Raven waited a long time before she knocked on the door. She couldn't imagine Yang was in any mood to talk if she wasn't able to share what she was feeling with her little sister, but Yang wasn't someone Raven would afford the luxury of this tumult. Yang's fiercely protective nature of Ruby was an asset Raven wanted to keep on-hand, and she wanted to be able to count on it should their enemies slip past.

That motivation didn't make it any easier for Raven to knock. Because she'd still have to look upon this girl and think on some world that _could've_ been, of some life where she was a very different mother than the one she wanted to be. Yang had been able to see past that and comfort Raven in her time of need a few nights prior, so surely Raven could return the courtesy… surely she could help the poor girl with at least _some_ of her problems.

She just couldn't seem to knock on her door.

Eventually Raven forced herself ahead, tapping very lightly. "Yeah?" Raven heard Yang inquire.

Now she just had to open the door and look the girl in the eye… just had to…

Ruby. She was doing this _for Ruby_. There was nothing easier than doing something for her baby girl. Raven found the doorknob with her trembling fingers and stepped inside.

Yang was sitting on the bed, not looking up at her. "Look, Ruby, I really don't want to talk about it, okay? Can you just leave me alone for a bit?"

"I'm not Ruby," Raven answered.

Yang finally looked up. "Oh… hey, m-… hey. Do you need something?"

Raven wasn't sure what to say. She'd been there only a few times with Ruby, only needed to intercede on a few _particularly_ bad days, because Ruby was always so optimistic. She had no idea what approach to take with Yang, because she'd never had any trouble reading Ruby's wishes and knowing how to answer to them.

Yang had her own complex life to lead, her own problems, her own hopes and dreams and doubts and fears… Raven wouldn't know where to begin. She wouldn't know what to say.

So she didn't take that approach. She sat down beside Yang on the bed, sitting quietly for several seconds. Out of the corner of her eye Raven saw Yang push some crumpled photo into her back pocket…

Raven didn't ask. She didn't know what insight she could hope to offer about the people in this world. She wasn't even sure what insight she could offer about Yang now that their only common bond seemed damaged after Yang stormed away from Ruby.

She had no idea what to say. But she knew what made her feel better when it was offered.

Raven reached over and hugged Yang. "We don't have to talk if you don't want to. You don't have to confide in me or anything. But if there's something I can help you with… now's the time."

It sounded more demanding than she meant it to. Maybe Raven couldn't help herself. She compensated by hugging even tighter, offering no more words.

Yang remembered offering Raven the same, and how much better she felt thinking she could finally hug her mother, even if it wasn't quite the same person she'd been seeking for so long. Now, having her mother hug _her_ instead…

Thinking of Blake made Yang think on what she'd needed and been unable to find. Hearing Ruby talk about her made Yang wonder if she'd ever be whole again now that such a big part of her life seemed gone and unlikely to return.

And yet… here, someone she'd written off as never returning, never going to share with her…

Yang returned the embrace and sat quietly in her mother's arms until her anger left her.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Raven was tired of hanging by the chains in Salem's dark and dingy room. She'd fought off Salem for a while, but eventually she did as the queen expected: scampered and bowed and reluctantly accepted her defeat. Salem left her to tend to other matters, apparently deciding it wasn't worth the time to provide Raven better accommodations.

She expected that. She just hoped Ozpin would hurry up and finish this scheme of his. She didn't trust him to keep her safe, but she was _much_ more willing to go along with his plans than Salem's, because even when he screwed over his allies he didn't usually bother to get his hands dirty and kill them himself once they'd served their purpose.

She just needed to wait until Salem released her hands and Raven could find a suitable blade to cut open the portal and bring him back. Then she'd let the old man and the missus settle their feud and find her way back to the way out in the ruins of Haven.

None of her options were good, but if Ozpin was doing _anything_ behind Salem's back, that knowledge would be useful to Raven one way or another.

* * *

Atlas was defended by tall slopes and freezing snow. Grimm usually succumbed to the cold before they could scale the natural defenses, but today their path would be clear.

It had been a long time since he'd swung this sword. But Ozpin had never forgotten what power he could unleash. Some of these frost-covered mountains had been carved by the arc of his swing, rending the very fabric of Mantle in the fires of the Great War.

Atlas was the last stronghold left. The people cowering within it were no doubt frightened, but their fear was alleviated by the knowledge they had the remaining huntsmen and an army of machines to defend them… and cold temperatures to keep the monsters away.

Ozpin was careful in aiming his strike. He didn't want to risk destroying the slopes and robbing Atlas of structural support… the kingdom was about to be besieged, and he didn't want to dig through ruins. Not when he had such a specific goal in mind. He felt the gods' power surge through the blade and coat its surface. One display of power would do… and the rest he'd save in case he needed to enact a contingency.

Ozpin looked over the army of Grimm at his back. The older ones recognized the sword in his hand. They kept the greatest distance of all, far at the rear of their packs.

With a swing of this sword, the King of Vale shattered the world. With another, he ended the greatest war to ever ravage this remnant.

Today, in a new vessel, he would simply clear a path.

Ozpin slashed. The fire unleashed swept over the snow, incinerating it in the wake of his attack. The way to the kingdom lay open, barren rock and dirt left in the wake of the godly power.

Sirens rang from Atlas far above him as their warning systems were finally triggered. The Grimm reacted to the surge of fear in the populace, beckoning them to their prey.

Ozpin marched forward with the army of Grimm at his back and the final piece of the puzzle ahead of him.


	15. Based on Deception

**Chapter Fifteen: Based on Deception**

* * *

 _Mistral, White Fang Headquarters_

Cinder wasn't surprised to see Emerald had been up all night. She knew why her disciple was so motivated –and so frightened- and wanted to encourage the industry. If _Cinder_ felt as though she was in a den of wolves, she could only guess how Emerald was feeling, trying to work alongside insane zealots like Adam, amorous brutes like Jaune, and unknown variables like Lie.

Emerald would be tired… but upon seeing her mistress immediately moved to conceal any signs. She didn't _quite_ succeed, but Cinder pretended not to notice. She didn't want to add to Emerald's burden today when the girl had demonstrated her devotion and unwavering loyalty. Instead, Cinder simply asked: "Are you ready?"

To Emerald, the question may as well have been rhetorical. Even if she _wasn't_ , there was no way she'd admit weakness to her mistress… at least not while they were still surrounded by allies she couldn't count upon. "I am."

"Then let's begin," Cinder instructed her disciple. "We have a lot of ground to cover."

Cinder headed for the exit and Emerald followed, stopping only when her mistress did to observe one of the men Adam had strung up and put on display, a man unique among his contemporaries, in that he was still alive, unlike the numerous Huntsmen he'd brought to Adam's throne room to serve as trophies.

"Remember we always have to stay useful," Cinder advised her disciple.

Emerald had no hope of ever forgetting that lesson, after all that she'd seen –and done- in Cinder's service. She faintly nodded. Cinder didn't even see the action, but continued ahead, confident Emerald would be even more faithful and dependable when cowed.

Hazel was only faintly aware of the two passing by, his own Aura slowly repairing damage… far too slowly for him to be able to affect any difference to Cinder or the knights' plans. And it didn't seem as though Salem had any intention of coming to his aid… no doubt she'd just let her myriad allies sort out their own problems.

Hazel had always expected this: his alliance with Salem wasn't based on anything more than their shared hatred of Ozpin. No doubt Salem meant to exploit his strength for as long as she could and then let him die fighting some other threat… he wasn't so foolish as to think Salem would ever honor her word. Just because he wouldn't be made a target of Salem's wrath didn't mean he'd be spared it once unleashed.

Abandonment and betrayal… it gave him a reason to stay alive and keep trying to rebuild himself, rather than simply wait to die and join these Huntsmen Hazel himself had killed on Salem's orders. The thought of that blonde knight being his executioner and that upstart Adam Taurus parading his corpse around just added fuel to the fire.

But there was nothing like hate to keep a man going. And none more deserving of hate than Ozpin.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Their reaction was slow. If Ozpin had meant to destroy their kingdom, he'd need only send his fliers to attack and draw their attention and leave the mightiest Goliaths to the task of breaking down the walls while all their fire was directed overhead. If Salem were carefully monitoring the push of her army, if she were directing their actions, then Atlas would fall, all its military might and discipline paling before the fury of the endless dark.

Yet because Ozpin marched the Grimm directly ahead rather than divide his force, Atlas had time to muster its response, dispatching its AKs, its Paladins, its bullheads… all the pawns to be sacrificed and traded. Ozpin left the Grimm to engage the machines, knowing they wouldn't be compelled to attack until _after_ the unmanned drones struck first; unable to sense Aura in their enemies, so they were doomed to only counterattack in their march, and the debris left by the destroyed machines would only halt their advance further.

Ozpin watched his Grimm carefully as they fended off the kingdom's defenses. Salem was across an ocean and vast swathes of continent, and what handful of Seers relayed her will in the horde told them only to advance on the human stronghold, rather than try anything more unique or complex. Some of the elders were wary already, but on they marched as their younger kin were used up in the steady ascent up the mountains.

Salem's grip was tenuous and she didn't want to exert herself by tightening her hold. That would be ideal for Ozpin's ascent: let Ironwood and Salem throw everything they had at each other, and may the better army win.

Well, no, not quite the _better_ army… it would not do at all for this battle to end with a decisive victory. It would need to be long and bloody and cost both sides much of what was brought to bear. It needed to leave few behind to pick up the pieces.

 _Grimm_ did not rebuild. And unlike the machines engaging them now, they left no pieces to be recovered. They would serve their purpose and instill fear in humanity, who would forever know there were monsters who could march all the way across the world and tear down the high walls of their kingdom and force their way right to the doorstep of their prey…

…and then hope would endure and humanity would triumph, and the darkness would rescind and reconstitute right back in Salem's own house when she was most ill-equipped to face it.

Ozpin dismounted from the back of the Nevermore once it was close enough to the kingdom walls. He passed easily over before soldiers could arrive to man the battlements, and set at once towards his target.

Once within the range of the kingdom's local CCT, Ozpin set to work using Atlas's vast technological network, pitting their own creation against them to find her… to find the girl to whom he'd entrusted the fate of humanity.

It had been her mission, after all… to save the world.

But his presence couldn't go unnoticed forever, and Ozpin eventually found more and more Atlesian soldiers and their robot knights pursuing him. He was careful to only use his cane to dispose of them, never once drawing the sword upon his hip.

Until he saw a familiar face charging into the fray, with cold blue eyes and a scar to remind any who gazed upon her face she was as much a warrior as she was a beauty, drawing her rapier in one hand and drawing a Glyph with another.

"Professor Ozpin," she greeted, ever stiff and formal. "I really had hoped we would never see each other again, after what you did to Beacon."

"Miss Schnee," Ozpin greeted with a smile. " _I_ had hoped I'd find you… I wish to have a word with your partner, Penny Polendina."

Weiss Schnee immediately stiffened, concentrating on the Glyph in her hand and drawing many more around Ozpin himself. She meant to attack him…?

He hadn't realized the girl had such loyalty for a machine. He hadn't intended that at all…

But this Schnee might've been more than a great _many_ expected her to be.

Ozpin raised his cane and clashed against her rapier as she bounced between her Glyphs, dashing wildly back and forth in an impressive flurry… but not one so devastating Ozpin ever allowed a single hit to land.

He _did_ need to remind her why she'd come to him for study, after all…

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

"This amount of cream and sugar, it's… _blasphemous_ ," Weiss remarked, looking at the amounts Ruby added. Her cup was more crystal sugar than coffee by volume.

"It's _good_!" Ruby assured her, smiling as she half drank/half ate her twisted concoction. Weiss sighed to herself but couldn't quite help but smile at the sight. Nora smiled tiredly at them, but when Weiss moved to offer her coffee, Ruby quickly interceded, subtly shaking her head.

Nora was usually so exuberant but she seemed so very subdued without Ren around. Weiss thought a bit of coffee might help her regain her usual cheery demeanor, but ultimately she followed Ruby's suggestion and sat awkwardly at the dining room table, thinking on what food they had left to work with and who among them could possibly make a meal out of it… certainly not Weiss herself, and apparently not Ruby or Nora either without Ren to supervise them…

Nor the drunken uncle of Ruby's when he sat down to join them, and Weiss inexplicably lost her grip on her coffee stirrer and _somehow_ managed to lose it entirely in the black liquid. Qrow preferred a drink from his flask to the coffee his niece offered, before addressing them: "We're heading out again today, but this time we're looking for where Salem's little cronies are holed up. Once we've all had a chance to eat we'll put together who we're taking along."

"And let me guess," Ruby interjected. "You want me to stay in the house… _again_."

"Yup," Qrow confirmed without a moment's hesitation. "You, Pyrrha, and I was thinking your sister too, after what she went through yesterday. And hopefully she'll be able to convince you to stay put… unlike _some_ people." He very pointedly looked over to Nora, who offered her best half-hearted smile and shrug.

"Yeah, I'm… uh, I'm sure she will," Ruby nodded, keeping to herself her and Yang's disagreement. "So what, it'll be you and Raven and Jaune and Neo?"

"Not the girl," Qrow shook his head. "She's still recovering from yesterday and blondie said his better half thinks she's dead. I ain't normally one to leave her here with you, but with your sister and Pyrrha watching your back –and pink and brown laid up in bed- I think you'll be okay." Qrow turned his attention to Weiss. "You can stick around here if you like too, but we could use an extra set of eyes with the places we have to check."

"Where are we looking?" Weiss inquired.

"Raven and I are gonna cover a lot more ground," Qrow explained. "But I figured you might be able to talk with local shopkeeps and traders; anyone who might've done business with the Schnee Dust Company. If our visitors from another world needed to stop and buy supplies –or Cinder and her little buddies ever needed to eat- we might be able to get a lead on them."

"General Ironwood closed the borders and cut Atlas off from Mistral," Weiss reminded him. "You really think I should go out there and try to talk _business_ with people who just lost a big trading partner? Assuming they even worked with Atlas at all?"

"I think you're the only one of us who can make any headway there," Qrow explained. "And if you get into any trouble and anyone gets upset about the money Jim cost them those Glyphs of yours' can get you out in a hurry."

"How… reassuring," Weiss dryly replied.

"I'm really something," Qrow agreed. "Go ahead and take blondie with you. He's not much good in a fight, but he's a people person… and it turns out he can patch you up if you hurt yourself."

"A day out with Jaune," Weiss mused. "Maybe we'll get lucky and you'll find the enemy first."

* * *

Pyrrha finally stepped out of her room, only to wait in the hall before proceeding. It didn't seem as though _anyone_ had slept well, but most –if not all- of her friends and allies were working off more than her. She couldn't ever recall falling asleep, just staring up at the ceiling and thinking on what she'd seen… about the still-widening tear between worlds, and the weighty burden expanding its gap.

He emerged from the room he'd spent the night in, keeping vigil over the injured Neo. Pyrrha could see his Aura shining brightly even as it slowly rebuilt itself after his expenditure the previous day… to most it would seem as little more than a healthy glow, a perception of energy radiating off in a strange, unknowable instinct. To her it was akin to a fire cackling in a hearth.

She'd seen his power unleashed before. Pyrrha had been so proud then, to think Jaune had discovered his Semblance, to watch him indefinitely repair and rebuild his Aura, to heal his every wound without fear and become not only a greater warrior, but an invaluable asset to their team's defense with his ability to absorb punishment and impact and slowly cleanse himself of every wound with the light of his soul.

Then Ozpin gave him even greater power and that fire pushed right out his skin… the fire would never be extinguished with Jaune's Semblance to rebuild the Aura every time it broke, and to heal the wound every time power he was not meant to have left the vessel unworthy of it…

That was not what Jaune did in this world. He turned his hands outward and used his healing Aura to restore life and strength to another, to a woman he'd only known a very short time… not to only heal himself but to save someone else…

Pyrrha pushed that thought away as she drew nearer to him. He needed to be aware of what was happening, of what he was inadvertently causing…

Ozpin had made no effort to tell the others, only rescinded to think on his next course of action and left behind a child ill-equipped to understand the potential crisis they faced. Pyrrha had no such interest in keeping secrets from her allies –her _friends_ \- and wouldn't be caught up in his games.

Pyrrha offered to Jaune the Scroll Nora had 'borrowed' from him the prior night, that Pyrrha had perused through, had seen a recording of _herself_ upon… had thought on a very different girl who'd fallen in love with a very different boy when he accepted her offer of help.

"Hey," he greeted, graciously accepting the Scroll back from her. She could tell he was still wary of her, still no doubt keenly aware of the damage she could inflict on him, should the mood take her.

"Thank you for lending this to me," Pyrrha told him. He nodded. Silence hung between them as she thought on what to say.

She knew what she'd meant to tell him, but standing right beside him… it suddenly became very difficult for her to speak. She couldn't recall ever having such trouble before… not since…

Beacon.

"Are you going out again today?" Pyrrha finally asked him.

"Yeah," Jaune confirmed. "Qrow asked me to go with Weiss."

Jaune and Weiss? Pyrrha hadn't cared for the sight of that at Beacon in her time… had those two interacted in any similar way in _this_ world? What were the odds of that?

Pyrrha did her best not to dwell on the possibility. She had a much more important task to attend to: to inform Jaune of the danger he may have been in, to tell him about the threat posed not only to them but to two Remnants…

She met his blue eyes and tried to…

"Good luck," was all Pyrrha managed to say.

"Thanks," Jaune replied. Pyrrha watched him turn to join the others, murmuring to herself a variety of possible ways to recapture his attention, but her voice never carried far enough to reach him.

This could be important; it could be dangerous to all of them, to Remnant… and Pyrrha's thoughts were for Jaune going on a day trip with Weiss Schnee.

It shouldn't have bothered her. It wasn't as though he…

Pyrrha looked past Jaune to the room he'd spent the night in, Neo watching him from the doorframe, her eyes never once leaving him, even when he came within a few feet of Ruby Rose, the girl she traveled halfway around the world to kill.

Pyrrha should've told him something. It should've been _easy_ for her to offer a word of warning when there could've been so much at stake and she was so determined not to follow Ozpin's example of keeping secrets from her friends.

But that would mean talking to Jaune again… trying to tell him...

Pyrrha averted her gaze and waited there in the hallway, trying to find a way to compose her thoughts. There was no reason she should be afraid to tell them to him; not only because he was _not_ the Jaune she'd known, but also because there was far more at stake than just her strange flights of affection and interest.

But how would he react if she told him about what he was unintentionally causing? Would he immediately try to deal with the Fall Knight and reduce the damage? Would he try to find a way to cross over to her side or ask Raven to lock him away so as not to cause any more harm?

It was strange to imagine Jaune being so willing to give of himself, but Pyrrha scolded herself for thinking so. This was the boy he'd always been, before Ozpin and Salem poisoned his mind for whatever games they meant to play with him.

Pyrrha knew she should tell him. Even if it meant he'd be cut off from her again.

Her eye found Ruby Rose in the dining room, seated with her friends, including Nora. Pyrrha thought once again on her mission and what was at stake. If Jaune _did_ as she thought he might, he could end up in Salem's clutches again. If the Fall Knight returned to his own world, Salem would gain another dangerous advantage and the limited window they had to act would only become tighter.

It hurt her to keep this from him… almost as much as it hurt to remember the day she knew he was lost to her, when she realized he'd used the relic for his own gain, and forgotten the better man she now _knew_ he was capable of being.

The monster followed her here. But the man had remained too. And for the faintest moment, Pyrrha wondered what it was to feel hope again…

Jaune lost her in his world. Pyrrha lost Jaune in hers'. Now, together… maybe now that they'd both found… if not _quite_ the same person they'd lost, then at least someone they'd _wanted_ to find again.

And now she couldn't speak to him. Now she was jealous of the attention he showed Weiss Schnee and the kindness he bestowed on a girl in need of friendship. Maybe history was meant to repeat… or maybe they were both granted a second chance.

The tear was growing wider. The longer two Jaunes existed in the same place the greater the danger would be.

Pyrrha could think of one way to remedy that. The world still needed Jaune Arc… and it had no need of the Fall Knight.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ozpin was pleased to see how far Weiss Schnee had come since her abortive first year at Beacon. He knew those Schnee Glyphs had a myriad of uses, but what _truly_ impressed him was the innovative applications Weiss had for them combined with excellent form: dashing about to attack unguarded flanks and leave Dust to strike him with explosion or encase him in ice. Were he a lesser combatant, she may well have been able to land a blow.

But this wasn't his first war. And she was still but a student.

Ozpin slashed through the ice Dust with careful use of his cane. He clashed against Weiss's rapier and pushed her to the ground, reminding her that for all her fancy tricks she was still a petite girl trying to push back against inevitability.

"Excellent, Miss Schnee," Ozpin complimented. "You do your name –and my former academy- such pride."

The latter insult was sure to enrage her. She wasn't used to _anyone_ talking down to her, because when she was at Beacon Ozpin made a point to name her partner Polendina as team leader and Team PRWV had never quite functioned as a result of Ironwood's plant always focused on infiltration… and unintentionally isolating Schnee from criticism by leaving her to call the shots instead.

No chance to be humbled and learn from error and grow. No chance to gain a better understanding of her power and utility by entrusting herself to others because she remained steadfastly apart from them. How differently life could've gone for her if she'd only slipped up once or twice and acknowledged there was more she could learn from failure than she _ever_ could from consistent improvement.

Still, Ozpin conceded, she fought well.

He waited until she tried to push herself too hard… to fight even when she was clearly outmatched. Even if she had some inkling, some natural flight-or-fight response, she would ignore it and place her faith in her sword and her technique. She'd overcome many challenges, and always found her way through… because she'd never been stopped by a hurdle she'd wrongly assessed there wasn't a hurdle she _couldn't_ overcome.

Weiss Schnee pushed with all her might. Ozpin relaxed his guard and stepped aside, letting the girl stumble and fall. Once she hit the ground again he aimed two strikes to the small of her back, the first to disrupt her Aura and the second to inflict measurable pain.

She tried to scramble forward, right into his waiting heel across her chin. He wanted to make sure the blows were memorable, so she would internalize her defeat and never forget this moment.

Still she tried to stand. Such spirit.

Ozpin still had a schedule to keep and couldn't afford to indulge her much longer… but perhaps he'd have better luck breaking her spirit than her surprisingly resilient body.

Ozpin reached down and hoisted Weiss Schnee up by the back of her head. "Tell me, where is your dear partner? Shouldn't the Fall Maiden be defending her kingdom from the hordes of Grimm?"

He didn't usually waste time asking questions he already knew the answer to. But this memory would stick with her and compound her failure. Weiss Schnee only glared at him and replied: "I'll never tell you that."

Ozpin suspected that was more defiance than genuine loyalty. But it made little difference. "I will let her know how hard you fought for Miss Polendina when I've found where James is hiding her away."

Ozpin drove her into the ground again. She fell unconscious in his hand.

He hoisted the Schnee girl onto his shoulder and pressed on. It was a bit of an additional burden to carry, but if he left her on the ground the Grimm might do her harm… and the battle would need survivors, if all was to go as planned… including the Schnee heiress who bravely fought against the mad wizard Ozpin, giving of herself to defend her home just as she had to defend Vale when he betrayed them.

The world had need of heroes, though Ozpin very much doubted Weiss Schnee would realize the depth of the efforts he'd gone to in making her one…

* * *

 _Mistral, the Markets_

Qrow gave them a list of locations to search, specifically writing off certain sections of the city that he'd already visited while searching for Huntsmen to recruit and knew to be hit by poverty or unlikely to be amenable to their request. Jaune was surprisingly quite focused on completing the task, though he was likewise curious about the adventures Weiss had while he and 'Team RNJR' traveled across Anima.

Weiss did her best to humor him, even though she'd already shared quite a bit of her story with Ruby, Yang, and Nora. Jaune reiterated a few points Weiss had already heard, but she was surprised at how patient she could be with him when he wasn't being quite so… Jaune-like.

Maybe that was what she _expected_ to see when she rejoined her friends: everyone behaving much the same as she remembered. _Ruby_ hadn't changed very much, but Nora was dour without Ren around, Yang more subdued and less emotional, and Jaune quiet and focused, only very rarely slipping into his boyish enthusiasm. Weiss far preferred him that way: it made the moments of energetic –if immature- wonder stand out more.

Unfortunately, their mission wasn't off to a great start. Weiss hadn't been forthcoming about her status as heiress (or former heiress), but she _had_ brought up the SDC several times and often been rebuffed or left to endure a lengthy lecture about the closed borders hurting business. Jaune stepped in to try and play peacemaker, but none of the merchants offered information about where their enemies might be staying or the supplies they might've acquired. The _only_ piece of _**potentially**_ relevant information they gained was about the increased activity of the White Fang, with a handful of the merchants suggesting they were up to something… but given many of those same merchants had 'NO FAUNUS' signs on their shops, it was hard to be certain of their motives.

The bandits who imprisoned Weiss had considered selling her to the White Fang. No doubt they'd be eager to have a Schnee as a hostage… so Weiss inquired about what –exactly- the merchants had been hearing.

Apparently the White Fang had a new High Leader who boasted about killing Huntsmen and keeping them as trophies in his headquarters. Given how long Sienna Khan had been in charge –and the radical changes she'd made from her predecessor- the thought of someone even _more_ extreme taking the reins was quite alarming. _Especially_ if it was who she thought it was… if Adam Taurus, the man who maimed Yang and killed dozens of innocent people at Beacon had risen not only to a new leadership position, but to full control.

Blake always maintained that Adam was _not_ representative of the White Fang and was considered a dangerous extremist even by those who agreed with his violent acts. The thought of a man like _that_ in charge of the White Fang…

…that would certainly be to Cinder and Salem's benefit. And after their success at Beacon, they may well have still been working together.

It wasn't exactly what Qrow sent them to look for, but it was a lead. If she and Jaune could followup on this, maybe feign some sympathy for those opposed to the White Fang…

The very moment Weiss had the thought she thought she saw something familiar in the throng of people wandering about the marketplace. Passing by the rock walls, keeping to the shadows… fair skin, amber eyes, clad in black and white, including a pretty bow atop long black hair…

"It can't be," Weiss whispered.

Jaune searched the crowd for where Weiss looked. "What?"

Weiss didn't answer immediately. Not until she was sure she believed her own eyes. She'd had trouble believing them quite often of late.

But when those amber eyes looked out at her, in that quiet, pleading way…

"Blake," Weiss whispered.

Jaune frantically searched the crowd. "Where?!"

Weiss tried to point, but before she could raise her index finger clearly saw Blake turn her back, her hair flailing behind her. It was still so well-groomed, even months after Beacon… but more pressingly, she was getting away from them!

Weiss quickly moved to follow, driving through the crowd of citizens with Jaune at her back. He hadn't seen Blake, but trusted Weiss to guide them. Improved though he undeniably had, he was still a bit lacking in combat aptitude…

Weiss reached for her Scroll, thinking she should inform the others… only to stop before she could reach either Ruby or Yang in her list of contacts. She didn't yet know why Blake was reaching out, but could at least vaguely understand why she might try to contact _Weiss_ rather than Ruby or Yang. She may not have even meant to be seen by Weiss at all, merely watching from the shadows as she had for so long.

If there was _any_ possibility of reuniting her friends –especially now while their enemies were gathering strength- then Weiss would be quick to seize the opportunity. She knew Blake would have baggage – _everyone_ had their baggage- but Weiss would _not_ let her run again now that she'd briefly stepped into the light.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

The Queen left them after only a few minutes, and Blake hadn't been able to discern what changes Salem made while she prodded through Lie Ren's mind. He slept peacefully beside her, and Blake spent a long time trying to figure out if anything had changed in the precise _way_ he slept… even listening closely to measure how long each breath he took would measure. His presence was actually quite soothing and he was comfortable to lean on, but Blake did feel a bit strange watching him sleep.

The last time she'd been here had been beside Adam, who'd had a similar effect on her… a strange comfort derived from the warmth of his body beside her own and the reminder he lived with each breath, and she lived each time the noise reached her ears.

She _had_ given it thought, what her life would be… what it'd be like to try and be with someone else after Adam…

That mask he'd convinced her to take off, the hand holding hers' now, the shoulder she still rested her head upon…

A change in his breath. Ren opened his eyes, blinking a few times and turning his attention to her… smiling a warm smile when he saw she'd been watching him…

His grip tightened on her hand. Blake did what she could to reciprocate the gesture, even awkwardly and seconds behind him. He seemed very happy to see her… much less somber than she could recall him being.

Was that what Salem changed? Had she made him… happier?

No, there had to be something more, something far worse than…

Blake was a lot less willing to think about it the more he smiled at her; the tighter his grip on her hand. He seemed so very happy to see her, and she…

She…

Blake felt her hand move to his cheek. She held his gaze a very long time.

She moved steadily closer…

* * *

 _Mistral, the Streets_

The streets were becoming less crowded the further they descended away from the affluent parts of the city. There were more people living in the lower rungs, but few wealthy enough to exchange their goods in marketplaces. Fortunately, this also meant Blake was running out of places to run, the rocks becoming thinner the further they moved down the mountain towards the walls leading outside to the great forests surrounding Mistral.

Weiss kept catching glimpses of her, even though Blake was keeping to the shadows and trying to stay out of sight. She actually felt a bit of unexpected sympathy for Jaune, trying to keep pace running in that bulkier, heavier armor he wore now. "Why is she still running?" Jaune asked. "Why can't you just wave her down or something?"

"Blake… probably isn't in a hurry to see the others," Weiss explained, trying to be delicate in describing the situation to Jaune. "There's… a lot to sort out there."

"Yeah, I can get that," Jaune nodded. "But why did she let you see her if she didn't want to talk?"

"I don't think she _meant_ to," Weiss clarified. "It's… complicated."

"Yeah, okay," Jaune agreed. "Can you still see where she's going?"

Weiss was becoming irritated constantly pointing her out. "Look, she's right over…" Weiss paused before she could reprimand him and asked: "Have you… have you _not_ seen her?"

Jaune shook his head. "I've been following you."

Weiss understood how Jaune might've missed her in a crowd of people, or when she was obscured by rock wall and dim light. But now that they had fewer people to block their vision, now that they'd spent several minutes chasing her…

It came to her before she managed to stop running. The memories flooded back all at once.

Weiss briefly clashed against Emerald the prior day. Before that she defended Pyrrha from Emerald's sneak attack, as only Pyrrha's own mind was deceived by Emerald's illusion. Pyrrha carried two of the swords used to kill Penny Polendina, when the robot girl Ruby befriended was used in conjunction with one of Emerald's illusions…

Blake was still wearing her bow, still wearing her old attire, still in immaculate condition after all that befell her…

And now Weiss and Jaune were far from their support network and chasing a specter in a steady direction…

She heard footsteps and reached for her rapier. Jaune unsheathed his sword and readied his shield.

They saw his Aura emerge first, like a great white flame emerging in the distance. The Fall Knight stepped towards them unarmed, unconcerned by their weapons. 'Blake' vanished from the shadows, leaving Emerald in her place to observe from afar.

"You have my thanks, Emerald," the Fall Knight noted. "You've brought me a Schnee…"

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ozpin waited for them to finish organizing their counteroffensive. Once their ships took to the sky and he was certain Ironwood was personally commanding the fleet, Ozpin slipped carefully into Atlas academy. Now that the headmaster was no longer guarding the vault, Ozpin would slip inside and seize it.

…Or so he'd let them think. Ozpin made sure he was detected by their security and broke a few of their locks. Ironwood would instantly be aware, realize Ozpin claim to enter the vault and steal the relic, and curse himself for being taken unaware. He'd fall back and try to counter Ozpin personally before he breached every defense.

And while he was in transit, Ozpin seized his _real_ goal… the relic stolen from _his_ academy, wisely kept separate from the Relic of Creation…

The Fall Maiden tried to fight her compulsion. But she had to fulfill her destiny. She _had_ to save the world. Or at least save the girl.

And now that he'd returned to Ironwood's good graces, Arthur Watts stepped in to help improve his machines. Including his most prized ally; his former mole in Ozpin's academy.

"Thank you, Doctor," Ozpin said with a smile, reaching out to accept the gift Penny Polendina presented him with. Penny's hands were trembling when she handed over the axe, only a few vines wrapping around its helve… so much of its power was gone now, but so long as he could swing it but _four_ more times…

"I trust this will sufficiently appease the Queen?" Watts inquired.

"Oh, yes, I'll make sure she knows of your help," Ozpin assured. "I'd hunker down if I were you… there's still one more blow to land."

Watts bowed and took his leave. He went back to coordinating his machines, fighting the battle from well behind the lines, appearing every bit as reformed and loyal to his homeland as he professed to be.

And the only witness to his betrayal would be returning with Ozpin, to give back the latter half of the Maiden's powers… and rob the world of another source of magic…

"Fly, child," Ozpin instructed. "We're going home."

Penny wanted nothing more than to stop the villain who'd unleashed such horrors on her home kingdom and on Vale, even though she was forced to obey him by the very programming Watts had installed. She didn't yet know how crucial her role would be. And Ozpin could ill afford to break her mind with the Relic of Choice; he needed her to do what came naturally.

He couldn't do this without her.

* * *

 _Mistral_

Emerald struck first, ensnaring Weiss in a chain launched from her kama. Jaune moved to try and free her, only for the Fall Knight to intercept him and bash him into the dirt. "This just isn't your week," the Fall Knight mocked. "But I gotta say, I approve of how quickly you moved on this… you lose one girl and you trade up for a Schnee!"

Jaune was about to defiantly reply, but quickly thought better of it. If his other self didn't _know_ Neo was alive… he managed to bite his tongue, only glaring up at the man smothered in burning Aura.

"Oh, don't feel too bad," the Fall Knight mocked. "Your problems are about to be solved…"

He drove his foot into Jaune's face. Jaune tried to drag himself up, the Fall Knight repeatedly beating him back down.

"Stop!" Weiss called.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were a fan," the Fall Knight noted. "Fortunately, there's a better Jaune Arc on offer for you…"

"What is wrong with you?!" Weiss demanded. "Why are you doing this?!"

"You want it to stop?" the Fall Knight wondered. "You want me to let your buddy go and drag himself back to your little hidey-hole? Then tell me where Ruby Rose is."

Weiss immediately quieted before defiantly replying: "I would never-"

"You _would_ ," the Fall Knight assured her. "You would because if you _don't_ I'll kill him. Much fun as I'm having mocking him, we don't have any actual use for him… and he _really_ bugged me yesterday."

"Don't do it, Weiss!" Jaune insisted, before the Fall Knight drove his foot in Jaune's face again.

Emerald moved closer and took hold of Weiss's Scroll. She'd been preparing to send a text…

"What say we let Ruby Rose decide for herself?" Emerald asked her erstwhile ally.

Weiss tried to wriggle her way out of Emerald's chain and take her Scroll back. The Fall Knight smirked. "I'm looking forward to seeing her again…"

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

Ruby had gone _months_ without receiving a text from Weiss; it was such a wonderful surprise she was momentarily taken aback by the simplicity of it. With the global CCT down they hadn't been able to stay in touch and all manner of funny videos and photos had never pinged Weiss's Scroll in the middle of the night, and truly, that was a shame.

Ruby was surprised by Weiss's simple message: _call me_. Odd Weiss wouldn't just call _her_ , but Ruby complied, setting up a video call with her bestie…

When the image came through, however, it was _not_ Weiss's face that greeted her… rather it appeared like a constant white-yellow flame, with the vague image of a face somewhere within it. "Ruby Rose…"

It sounded like- but she knew it wasn't. Ruby quickly steeled herself. "Where's Weiss?"

"Glad you asked." The all-encompassing flame stepped aside, removing itself from the Scroll camera to show Ruby her partner wrapped up in a chain. "She didn't give you up, you know. It's a shame: I really didn't want to have to kill her."

"If you touch her…" Ruby warned.

"But wait, there's more!" the Fall Knight interjected, moving the Scroll camera around to show Jaune struggling under his foot. "I really hope you like me enough to save my life, Ruby Rose, because otherwise I'll just have to kill him for the fun of it."

"Kill him?" Ruby repeated.

Neo emerged from her room, drawn by the familiar voice. Pyrrha stepped out from the hall to join Ruby in the front room.

"Because here's the plan: I'm gonna kill 'em both!" the Fall Knight promised. "If you run right over with your Semblance you'll get here before I can; in fact you're the _only_ one who can get here in time! You stop and coordinate with your friends and I'll kill _at least_ one of them before you arrive. You don't come at all and I guarantee you they both die!"

"Why are you-"

"Decide now, little rose!" the Fall Knight instructed. "If you really want your buddy Jaune to live, I'd start running. Trust me when I say I won't hesitate with him… your girl Weiss on the other hand… well, her I'll take my time."

The communication ceased. Topographical data popped up, providing Ruby with coordinates to move to.

Neo pointed at the Scroll and then to the door. Ruby was surprised the girl who'd been so eager to kill her a few days prior was now dispatching her to help Jaune… unless she just wanted Ruby's back to be exposed.

Pyrrha too pointed to the door. Just a day earlier she'd dragged Ruby back inside when she tried to run…

"Go," Pyrrha instructed. "I can find Jaune: I _will_ catch up."

If Ruby fell into Salem's hands, all they'd worked towards would be for nothing.

If Jaune were to really die now, it might be enough to stop whatever effect he'd been having on the planet's magnetic field and possibly even reverse the tear by lessening the burden.

Pyrrha thought on the Scroll message she'd watched. She thought on flinging Jaune into the wall when he reached out to offer a hug. She thought on that first day at Beacon when she chose him to be her partner.

Ruby nodded and raced out the door. Neo, though still hobbling and unsteady on her feet, went to gather her umbrella and knocked on Yang's door, summoning another hated enemy to help them.

Pyrrha knew she'd sent Ruby into a trap. There was nothing else this could be.

She thought of Jaune. The rest was easy.

* * *

"Why did you tell her we'd kill the Schnee girl?" Emerald asked, as the Fall Knight tossed Weiss's Scroll aside.

"Because we _will_ , very soon," the Fall Knight answered. "What difference does it make if _we_ kill her or Adam does?"

Weiss's eyes widened. "Then the White Fang are…?"

"Going to sacrifice a Schnee the very same day they destroy Haven," the Fall Knight assured her. "It's gonna be quite the show, and you'll have the best seat in the house!"

Jaune coughed as he tried to right himself again. "You won't… win… Ruby and the others… they'll stop you…"

"Oh, I'm sure they'll _try_ ," the Fall Knight allowed. "But let them come. Let the anomaly try and intervene and save her little girl… there won't be any cavalry to save you this time; we already know who you're sending after us."

Jaune suppressed a smirk. He could think of a few tricks they had left…

The Fall Knight reached down to grasp the back of Jaune's head. "That being said… I _did_ promise I'd kill you if she didn't get here in a hurry…

"What say we get started?"

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ozpin took one final swing with the sword when Penny Polendina carried him away, sailing through the air on mechanical wings. The resulting shockwave struck the path his Grimm marched upon and rent the ground before them, cutting off the front of the horde in Atlas from the back meant to reinforce them. Though Atlas would fight all through the day and night to repel the Grimm already inside their borders, they _would_ fight off the incursion, and what had seemed their darkest hour would turn into a shining, unexpected victory.

James would realize what had gone wrong. A few of his subordinates would be entrusted with the truth, and they would despair that the treacherous Ozpin had outmaneuvered them and they didn't understand the breadth of his plan. But the soldiers who survived the battle, the civilians taking refuge in the last remaining kingdom, the vast majority of souls gathering together to defend what little they had left… _they_ would be instilled with hope after an unlikely victory found its way to them, and there would be no despair to fuel the rise of new Grimm.

And Penny Polendina…

As they flew away from Atlas and out of the range of its CCT, Watts's program lost its reach, and Penny's senses returned to her. She now held in her hands the life of the man who'd unleashed such terrible harm on her kingdom, and more importantly, on her dearest friends.

She turned him around to make him face her as she held Ozpin aloft over the ocean. Even if he hit water the fall would almost certainly kill him… if she didn't incinerate him with the Maiden Aura emerging from within her.

"I'm sure you think you should put a stop to me and punish me for all I've done," Ozpin mused. "But would you believe there's something more important for you to do than gain your revenge?"

"I'm not interested in revenge," Penny assured him. "I will take you back to Atlas and see you rightfully imprisoned for your crimes!"

"You _could_ ," Ozpin agreed. " _Or_ you could gain a better life than mine…"

Penny was clearly suspicious, but curious against her will. "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't," Ozpin allowed. "So I'll make it clear. You want to come with me back to Salem's castle, and fulfill the destiny your makers so often promised you."

"Why would I go _anywhere_ with you?" Penny demanded.

"What was the mission they assigned you?" Ozpin asked her. "To save the world?"

Ozpin took one last look at the ocean far below him. "Well, what if instead… you saved something that mattered more to you than that?"

He met her eye and smiled before offering Penny Polendina her last temptation; the thing she wanted _more_ than justice, more than revenge, and more than the destiny she was meant to fulfill.

"What would you do to save the life of Ruby Rose?"


	16. Cowards

**Chapter Sixteen: Cowards**

* * *

 _Mistral, Eastern Port_

" _Finally_ ," Roman grumbled, disembarking ahead of Blake, her family, and the legion of supporters at their backs. "I never thought I'd be so glad to set foot in a hole of a city like this one…"

"Don't get too excited," Sun reminded him. "You still have a job to do."

"Yeah, yeah," Roman grumbled. "So, kitty cats, where are we going? Just point and I'll shoot."

"Hopefully there won't be any need to shoot," Ghira replied, ambling over. "If all goes well, all we'll need is a _show_ of force, Mr. Torchwick."

"Hey, less work –and more bullets when we're done- sounds fine to me," Roman agreed. "So where are we going?"

"White Fang Headquarters," Ilia answered. "Adam hasn't launched his attack yet; we might be able to head him off before he moves into position and stop his loyalists before they can move their munitions."

"Shouldn't we try and contact the authorities now that we're here?" Kali suggested. "Surely they'll be willing to help if we can give them a tip about the White Fang attacking a Huntsman academy."

"You think they'll listen to Faunus?" Roman asked, before hastily adding: "Though, they might listen to _you_ Mrs. Belladonna." Kali seemed to approve of the compliment, though Ghira was significantly less amused by the thief paying his wife such.

Blake was weighing her options as the others looked to her for direction. She'd considered a number of plans all through her trip across the ocean, and didn't want to draw attention to their presence by marching such a large group of Faunus into the city and up the mountain to be seen. Haven wasn't _open_ yet and they wouldn't have a logical reason to be there. If they went to Sienna Khan's old base of operations –where Adam presumably still stored their supplies- at least a big group of Faunus wouldn't seem out of place.

She knew this was necessary; she knew that they were the only ones yet aware of Adam's plans and the only ones situated to stop him. But it still meant seeing Adam again and finally confronting him after what he did at Beacon and all that he'd unleashed since then…

Her hand unconsciously reached for the scar he'd added to her stomach. Sun and Ilia noticed before she pulled her hand away, but they didn't say anything. They waited for her to lead them ahead rather than spend too much time looking behind.

Blake took a deep breath. "This isn't about Adam or the White Fang; this is about _Haven_. Dad, you take everyone with you to the academy. Mom, you let the police know and tell them what we found on the Scroll."

She turned her attention to Sun, Ilia, and Torchwick, considering what resources she had left. She wasn't at all eager to split up her resources like this, but if they could manage to destroy or remove Adam's munitions before he launched his attack, at least they wouldn't be sending a bunch of untrained civilians into a warzone. And if Adam had left his headquarters before she and her makeshift team arrived, they'd be able to catch up faster than a big crowd of people trying to navigate dense forests and steep hills and mountains.

"As for us," Blake addressed them, keeping one eye pointed Torchwick's way, "We find the White Fang. If we can, we take them out at their headquarters. If they're already on the move, we regroup with my parents and meet them at Haven before they can set their bombs."

"Bombs? Oh, _good_ ," Roman remarked. Blake glared at him but decided not to let his smart mouth bother her _too_ much.

But she was still wary. If things went poorly or Adam ambushed them, Torchwick could easily change his allegiance and give them up in exchange for sending him on his way… or even providing information about Neo before he went. She, Sun, and Ilia could probably defeat Adam if they worked together, but they couldn't defeat him and Torchwick if they opted to pool resources.

Still, Blake was putting some faith in him, because her mother offered assurances that Torchwick was sincere in his motivation to find his missing girl. Blake understood that need to reconnect, and did her best to trust her mother's instincts. She hadn't been wrong about Sun, nor had she been wrong in dissuading Ghira before he could interrupt Blake's address to the people of Menagerie. Blake really wanted her to be three for three.

Ilia had reminded her people could change… but Adam reminded her how a motivation as pure as love could become toxic and destructive. If Blake had to wager what Torchwick would do when battle finally came…

Well, under her supervision and away from civilians was probably a better course of action than leaving him with her parents, where she was pretty sure her dad would squash him if he got too mouthy. And while Blake didn't want to give Adam any acknowledgement by focusing her personal efforts on him, she'd stomach feeding his ego if it meant keeping Menagerie's civilians safe from him.

"Let's go," she finally instructed, taking the lead. Sun and Ilia hastened to follow while Roman grumbled and moved to keep pace.

She had to believe people could change for the better now. If they couldn't… the night's events could turn very bloody.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Blake's lips were very nearly upon his'. She could feel their breaths mingling together as each drew nearer to the moment. She was subtly drawing him closer with a few light tugs on his cheek, inviting him to act on the feelings he must've had… and the feelings she wanted to return.

But when she very nearly _felt_ his lips draw close she heard a sudden change in his heartbeat; a clear downturn followed by a sharp intake of breath. He drew back, shyly averting his eyes, and murmuring: "I'm sorry, I didn't… mean to…"

Blake heard his heart beforehand. She saw the sweetness in his smile. She knew better.

But perhaps she was rushing ahead. She'd been here before; it didn't seem as though Ren had. Either that or he'd had someone else in mind for when he reached this point.

Blake tried not to begrudge him that. When he'd offered her his support the prior day, it hadn't _seemed_ to be a particularly romantic interest he'd had, just a kindness; an affection not so different from friendship. He gave her his shoulder to rest on and his hand to hold, but he hadn't…

Hadn't…

Then Salem came to find him in his sleep. And he'd made this giant leap forward when morning came, only to stop before it could become real. No matter how close he'd come. No matter how he may have _wanted_ to move forward.

Salem was the one who suggested they be together in the first place; Salem was the one offering Blake her revenge if she came around to something that honestly seemed like a pretty good thing for her now…

But not for Ren. Not if whatever he felt –whatever they both knew he was feeling- was something not wholly his own and something Salem _made_ him act upon.

Maybe he really did like her. Certainly Blake _hoped_ he did, and she could so rarely recall _hoping_ for that to be real… but all his talk of another world, his friends, his teammates, his _partner_ …

Blake let her hand fall away from him. She never thought it'd be so difficult to _not_ touch someone's cheek.

Ren had just wanted to ask her help about something in Atlas… for some reason he'd needed to dispatch a message, but then he set his sights on improving Blake's mood instead. "What… what was it you wanted me to tell Atlas?" Blake asked, trying to quickly shift attention away from the awkward space between them.

"I wanted to warn them," Ren explained, still not looking at her. "Ozpin was going there with a powerful relic… I was concerned he might destroy the kingdom while digging out another one."

"Relic?" Blake repeated.

Ren paused for a long moment, deep in thought again. His heart rate had steadied, but Blake didn't need her extra set of ears to sense his trepidation. Was this something he felt a need to keep from her?

Ren himself quickly stepped past his doubt, however, reaching to find Blake hands and grasp them in both of his own. "Blake… I don't know if it matters now, but these – these relics Salem is trying to acquire; she shouldn't have them. I know she's promised you what you _think_ you want, but please… please tell me you don't want her to have more power than she does already… that you won't just give her these things that'll let her make the world any worse."

It was asking a lot of her. Especially when he'd just placed a greater distance between them by drawing away from what Blake had –at least momentarily- sincerely wished for.

But there was no lying in him; no deceit. Salem… even if she honored her word and gave Blake her revenge on Raven, it was only to suit her own purpose. Blake very much doubted Ren wanted to stop Salem from gaining power just because he meant to seize it instead.

He believed in her. He was asking for her help.

And she…

"Tell me about the relics," Blake requested. "Tell me what it is Salem and Ozpin are trying to find."

* * *

Salem watched her army scatter through the reflective surface of her Seer, cursing to herself as Atlas reorganized and regrouped, forming a defensive barrier with their soldiers and their machines around the shattered pathway. Her Grimm had to march across jagged and uneven terrain, taking enormous losses in each march. What few old and strong enough made it across would then receive focused fire until they were brought down. What machines and soldiers her Grimm managed to defeat became additional impediments for her army to march through, making the march up towards the kingdom even more of a brutal and ineffective slog.

Gunships and capitol ships were keeping the skies as clear as possible. Huntsmen and lawmen were successfully containing the Grimm that already struck in the heart of the kingdom, keeping the fighting in isolated pockets.

Most of all… there was no sign of Ozpin. Ironwood's ship had returned to port and the General had fled to the vault below his academy. That might've indicated Ozpin was still encountering resistance on his way to the torch, or if he _had_ made it to the Relic of Creation he had yet to extricate himself.

But that begged the question: what weapon did Atlas have powerful enough to create the jagged path impeding her Grimm now? And if it was –as it appeared to be- another slash from the Relic of Destruction rending the ice and stone, why had Ozpin cut off the bulk of his forces and left them to be picked off?

Salem put that aside for a moment and considered her strategic options. If she massed the horde into a concentrated push, she _might_ break the defensive barrier and even rout the Atlas military. But then they'd simply fall back inside their kingdom's fortifications and attack her Grimm at rage with their aerial superiority. The very best case scenario would be a prolonged siege, and that was not a prospect that interested her. Keeping humanity's last stronghold under siege may well exhaust them, but she could not protect her Grimm from _nature_. Cold winds would buffet them and ice would again freeze over the path Ozpin had made for the army. Even if she sent every Grimm left close enough to join the battle, the result would be a tossup. The elders were already starting to break ranks and fall back, even though they knew it'd risk Salem's wrath to do so.

She'd already overtaxed herself. She couldn't allow her army to realize how much energy she'd expended organizing this push… and how low her reserves had become after the fact.

Still, she had the last silver-eyed warrior waiting to give up her eyes… she didn't _need_ to restrain herself. But for a brief moment she'd be vulnerable, and she didn't want to give her Grimm any insight to what lay ahead. She didn't want them to sense weakness and think their alpha could no longer command them.

Salem had to find Ozpin. If he had the relic, that would be all they'd need. With the torch they could make _anything_ : including an endless supply of silver eyes to keep the Grimm forever in her thrall.

And when at last the darkness faded away, a new body… untainted by her curse and free of the gods' punishment…

But she was getting ahead of herself. First she needed to find Ozpin. First she needed to know where the king found himself on the new board.

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

Oscar had been uncertain of his loyalties of late, and the role he'd play in combat against Salem's incursions and whether he could trust himself with Ozpin's voice in his head. However, one priority had not wavered: and that was Ruby Rose, rushing headlong into danger just as she always did, and that he'd very much like to help her if he could.

He knew he wouldn't be much of a combatant without Ozpin's training and guidance. But still he took the old cane and readied himself for a fight. If Neo intended to help when she was still having trouble _walking_ surely Oscar could lend a hand _somewhere_ , even if it was just to help the fighters get back up when their foes knocked them down.

Pyrrha was still _slightly_ wary of him, but Nora offered her reassurance that 'little cute boy Ozpin' could be counted upon. Yang was a bit less breathlessly supportive of Neo, but _did_ acknowledge that she'd come in handy pointed at their foes. Pyrrha wrapped them all in a sphere composed of discarded metal and launched them in pursuit of Ruby into the forest.

Oscar kept trying to rouse Qrow, but couldn't manage a consistent signal on his Scroll. There was too much interference from whatever distance Qrow had crossed and whatever speed they moved at from within Pyrrha's unique mode of transport.

Still, Pyrrha –with the full power of her Semblance- would be able to do harm to Salem's knights, and Nora, Yang, and Neo could at the very least hold off some of Salem's other followers until help could arrive.

Oscar quickly changed tactics and tried to reach Raven. With her Semblance she could get to Ruby immediately and even the odds. Short of _all_ their enemies lying in wait…

Ruby would be arriving to help shortly. There'd be a window where she too was vulnerable, but her backup was right at her heels. And Ozpin had repeatedly insisted that Oscar put his faith in her, and not only because of how he felt when he looked at those silver eyes.

He had to believe things would work out. They had yesterday… and fighting together with all they could bring to bear… that had always been what they needed to beat Salem.

He only hoped Ruby would arrive in time to save Jaune and Weiss…

* * *

 _Mistral, Outskirts of the City_

Jaune grunted as the Fall Knight kicked him further through the dirt. Weiss yelled something at him, insisting his assailant stop his brutal attack. Jaune had depleted a great deal of his Aura yesterday healing Neo, and he was slow to repair the wounds being inflicted… just being repeatedly beaten down with no chance to recover.

The Fall Knight scoffed as he hoisted Jaune up, slamming him against the nearest tree. "What's the matter, blondie, you still depressed about the short girl? Don't tell me you're gonna die before little Ruby Rose gets here to see it go down…"

Jaune had an angry retort ready to go, but once again bit his tongue. He couldn't risk revealing Neo had survived. Nor did he want to reveal that he'd managed to unlock his Semblance… presumably the same Semblance this other version of himself had and would instantly recognize.

Instead Jaune thought on how he might draw things out… _if_ Ruby and the others were on the way, maybe he could distract the Fall Knight long enough he'd still be conscious when they arrived. If he could keep going long enough to heal his friends and keep their fight going, it might turn the tide against these two…

And while he was at it, perhaps he could learn something.

"What happened to you?" Jaune wondered. "What did Salem do to you to make you like this?"

"Salem did nothing," the Fall Knignt scoffed. "This was what I wanted."

"I don't believe that," Jaune replied. "You went to Beacon to be a Huntsman just like I did, right? You wanted to help people: be a hero."

"And now I am," the Fall Knight replied. "Sorry you'll never get the same chance…"

"I don't want it," Jaune assured him. "Not when I think about what you did to Pyrrha."

The Fall Knight barked out a laugh. "Oh, it's nothing compared to what I'm _going_ to do…"

"Have you seen mom and dad?" Jaune wondered. "Or the sisters? Have they seen what you've become?"

The Fall Knight's good humor quickly evaporated, as he tightened his grip on Jaune's neck, pushing him deeper against the tree bark. "That's enough."

"Do you think they'd be proud of what you've become?" Jaune asked, dropping all mockery and indulging his sincere curiosity. "Do you think they'd understand why you let… _**this**_ happen to you?"

"Shut up!" the Fall Knight snapped. "At least I won't die having accomplished nothing… like _you're_ about to."

The Fall Knight's grip tightened. Wisps of steam rose from his fingers as his Aura began heating up, pressing against Jaune's throat with a renewed burning sensation. Jaune winced but didn't allow himself to let up. "I… I'm sorry this happened to you. I wish… I really wish you'd have realized you didn't _have_ to be so strong… that what your team accomplished was what _you_ accomplished too."

The Fall Knight snarled, glaring intensely as he remembered that day… when Pyrrha offered to help him improve and he harshly sent her away, and Ozpin promised to give him the power he sought…

"I'm sorry this is what you've become," Jaune murmured under the Fall Knight's smothering grip.

He dared to pity him? He dared…

The Fall Knight cried out in rage and drove Jaune into the dirt head first. The boy said nothing more.

He reached for his sword to end the battle at last; to rid himself of this annoying reminder of a time when he too had been weak…

A shot knocked Crocea Mors from his hand. The Fall Knight looked up to see a flash of red in the distance, and a glint of steel as a sniper rifle transformed into a scythe.

"Ruby Rose," he greeted with a smile. "The last silver-eyed warrior."

* * *

 _Haven Academy_

Lionheart took note of a message on his Scroll from Cinder Fall with a simple message: _It will happen tonight_.

They'd been planning on using his school's destruction as a cover for their theft. Now it seemed they were finally going to push forward and launch their operation. Had they found the Spring Maiden? The last Leo had been able to infer something had gone awry and Cinder failed in that task already…

The plans kept changing, and the participants now too. One of Salem's followers had just been defeated in battle with another in the grand hall of his school, and now it seemed the White Fang would be playing a more direct role to take the place of the missing piece. How quickly Salem compensated for the loss of one of her pawns…

His academy was about to be destroyed and the Relic of Knowledge he'd safeguarded was about to be in Salem's hands. Without a relic and without a huntsman academy, what leverage would he have? What use would Salem have for him when the night was finished?

Leo glanced around his office at the books lining the walls and the beautiful tea set Ozpin had given him the day he'd assumed the post. He wondered what he could take with him, what could miraculously 'survive' the destruction caused by the White Fang's attack…

Why was he even bothering to ask? Leo would be fortunate to escape with his _life_ , let alone any trinkets… even ones with sentimental value. Just because Salem would be pleased at having her prize in hand _didn't_ mean she'd be inclined to spare the life of someone who knew the truth of her schemes and no longer had any contribution to offer her…

Cowards could occasionally survive the fate their actions earned them. But Salem wouldn't allow him to live once he no longer had a use to her.

Leo looked down at his Scroll one final time. Salem's Seer was floating nearby, just outside his office… Salem's eyes were on him now, and Watts would be aware of any message he sent via his Scroll; any warning –or plea for help- he sent to Qrow.

Qrow and a handful of students… they had no chance of defeating Salem's followers, and he was foolish to even consider the notion, no matter how guilty he felt about betraying his friends and the defenders of his kingdom to spare his own miserable life.

But he was going to die either way now. Salem had already discarded one follower simply because one of her more volatile subordinates didn't play well with others. And the things he knew about her plans…

Leo didn't know what would happen if he were foolish enough to try. But he knew for certain what would happen if he _didn't_.

He took a deep breath and dialed Qrow's Scroll.

* * *

 _Mistral, the Outskirts of the City_

Pyrrha screeched her vessel to a halt when she lost track of the distortion. She knew Jaune had been fighting against the Fall Knight, so her sense of his location would be inconsistent while so close to the corresponding echoes of his opposite. But now she couldn't sense the light of his Aura _at all_ , which made her wonder…

"Oh no," she murmured.

In the tight, enclosed space of the sphere, her words couldn't be missed. Nora turned to her and asked: "What is it?"

"Jaune," Pyrrha mumbled. "He's…" She didn't jump to the worst. She didn't assume… the Fall Knight liked to play with his food, after all. "…unconscious, or hurt."

Neo wasn't happy to hear this. She pointed forward against the metal wall of their transport, urging Pyrrha to press on.

"Ruby's still running into that mess," Yang reminded her. "Come on. Pyr- this isn't just about Jaune."

She was right, of course. If Salem got her hands on Ruby…

Pyrrha nodded. "Use the coordinates they sent from Weiss's Scroll. Point me."

"Set us down," Oscar suggested, deferring to Ozpin once again as tactical advice was silently dispensed to the boy. "We don't want to overshoot the mark."

Pyrrha complied, landing her sphere and opening it. Oscar took charge, pointing Nora and Yang. "Go. We'll follow into position after you once you've assessed their strength. We keep Pyrrha in reserve as long as possible… and our enemies won't be expecting Neo."

Yang seemed wary of following his instructions, but her concern for her sister outweighed any distaste for working with Ozpin. Nora was already en route, quick on her feet even lugging her massive hammer around.

Neo glanced at Oscar, waiting for his suggestion. He shook his head. "Not yet. Our enemies think you're dead. No reason to reveal a strategic advantage until we have to."

Pyrrha turned her attention back to Oscar. "What about Ruby?"

"Put your faith in her," Oscar suggested. "So long as Salem needs her alive, we can… " Oscar hesitated for a moment as he considered what the voice in his head was telling him. "…we can count on some modicum of restraint."

His hesitation did not go unnoticed. "Still scheming, Ozpin?"

"He always is," Oscar admitted. "But _I_ won't let them take Ruby. None of us will."

He turned his eye to Neo. She only grimly nodded. She wasn't happy about it, but it seemed she was in agreement… though with Neo it was never wholly clear.

Pyrrha drew the two swords from her back. "Well then. Let's go say hello."

* * *

The Fall Knight allowed Ruby to swipe at him again and again with her scythe, never once managing to cut through his Aura. He took the time to rather casually rearm himself with Crocea Mors to fend Ruby off, pushing her away with his sword and shield. "What's the matter, Ruby? Didn't you come to save your friends?"

Ruby glanced between the unconscious Jaune and the still-bound Weiss, wrapped in Emerald's chains. "I'll get there," Ruby promised him. "It's a work in progress."

The Fall Knight laughed again. "Oh, good. I was worried you wouldn't be any fun to play with…"

Ruby responded to his mockery with another swing of her scythe. Jaune blocked the strike with his shield and then slashed across Ruby's midsection with his sword, tearing off another good chunk of her Aura.

She couldn't hope to outlast him, and she probably knew it. If she was smart she'd try and grab the small girl she could carry and flee. So why was she willingly taking hits from a foe she couldn't overpower?

The same reason Jaune goaded him. She was buying time for her friends to arrive.

The Fall Knight nodded to Emerald. She acknowledged and discreetly sent a message on her Scroll.

He returned his attention to Ruby Rose, swinging wildly and letting her get a few hits in on his intentionally unguarded flank. She probably thought she was making progress, drawing things out…

The Fall Knight was eager to see who'd come to rescue her. He hoped Cinder's plan would work… because while bringing a prize to Salem would certainly please the queen, unless he retrieved the anomaly their attack on Haven would be premature.

The Fall Knight struck Ruby Rose again, finally dispelling her Aura and removing her barrier completely. Ruby drew back to avoid his blade and try to rebuild, and he chased after her, waiting to see who'd come to save the poor damsel now that she was in such visible distress.

A hammer swung into his path and sent him flying back. The Fall Knight broke through a few trees following the impact, though his Aura maintained its integrity, the flames swirling about but holding together.

He locked eyes with his foe, every bit as short as he remembered, but no less menacing either. "Nora," he greeted warmly. "…I love what you did with your hair."

"Wait until you see what I can do to your face," Nora dryly replied.

The Fall Knight glanced about, spotting a familiar blonde girl moving to pick Ruby up. "Oh, and you're here too… uh, blonde girl. I was hoping to see you again…"

"Wish I could say the same," Yang growled. "Actually… no, I really, _really_ don't."

The Fall Knight smirked. "Aw, that's okay. You'll get used to having me around… you'd be surprised how many girls start liking me once they get to know me…"

Yang unsheathed her gauntlet on her left hand and the firing mechanism on her prosthetic. She prepared to unleash all her fury right at this smug, evil Jaune… only to stop in mid-motion, her left hand starting to visibly tremble.

"Yang?" Ruby wondered, glancing at her sister's arm and then following her line of sight, her silver eyes widening when she saw him approach.

She'd only seen him in images on television and the CCT. She'd never had the misfortune of seeing him in person. Yang had seen him on many different nights, emerging from the darkness just as he did now while she stood paralyzed by her fear, reliving the moment he maimed her.

Adam Taurus walked up to join Emerald and the Fall Knight, the thief handing the still-bound Weiss over to one of the White Fang soldiers flanking their leader. Adam himself turned his attention to Yang, partially unsheathing his red blade from its hilt. "I remember you…"

Ruby tried to help Yang, grasping to her sister's shoulder and gently rocking her. Yang just continued to stare at him, at the plaster Grimm mask and the terrifying smile.

Nora turned her head for just a moment to see what was wrong with Yang. In the instant she'd relaxed her guard Emerald moved in, wrapping a second chain from her kama around Nora's waist and dragging her away, separating her from her friends.

The Fall Knight stood beside Adam and his White Fang. "The silver-eyed one lives. Try and leave the blonde alive… but don't strain yourselves. The _real_ target is still on her way…"

* * *

Pyrrha was rushing towards the sound of clashing ahead, eager to regroup with her friends. Neo and Oscar were lagging behind, the boy helping Neo move at as steady a clip as possible to try and keep pace.

But something caught Neo's attention: a sound distinct from the clashing of blades and hammers… a sound she faintly recalled from her brief stay at Beacon: footsteps like clinking glass.

Neo took hold of Oscar's collar and pulled him into the brush and the trees. Oscar tried to ask what she was doing but Neo clamped her gloved hand over his mouth, jerking her head towards Pyrrha. She sincerely hoped Pyrrha was the intended target.

Still, Neo had to see her. She'd been waiting a long time to see her.

Cinder Fall emerged from somewhere in the tree line, stepping directly in Pyrrha's path. She looked quite different from what Neo recalled: her hair was much shorter, her face was partially covered by a long patch and a partial face mask… but there was no mistaking that smug grin. How Neo hated it.

"Not so fast, 'Invincible Girl'," Cinder interjected. "I wouldn't want you to think I'd forgotten what I owe you…"

Pyrrha carefully raised the two blades in her hands. "The result will be the same as before."

"Oh, I don't think so," Cinder argued. "See, I make a point to learn from experience…" She concentrated, drawing up Dust from embedded spots in her red dress and forging it in her hand, using flames from her Maiden power to compose a blade of superheated rock. "…and whatever your power, I _know_ I'm the better fighter. I know it _because I killed you_."

Pyrrha did not reply. Neo watched carefully from her hiding spot, waiting for her opportunity.

Cinder moved in and clashed her blade against Pyrrha's twin swords, her smug grin replaced by heightened, _vicious_ focus as she prepared to mark her kill.

* * *

 _Southeast of Lake Matsu_

Raven finally returned to the ground after her scouting turned up nothing of note. It was growing darker out and her old friends in the tribe would be setting up fortifications for the night or even going underground if they thought they were in serious danger. Still, a few locations could be written off… and that'd narrow her search if she'd have time to locate her missing tribesmen before Salem made her move.

When she returned to human form, however, she quickly divorced herself from any optimism when she saw a bunch of missed messages on her Scroll from Qrow and Oscar, imploring her to contact them. There was only one thing that could be so pressing…

"Rae, the knights have captured the Schnee girl," Qrow explained. "Ruby and the rest of the kids are going after her now."

Raven cursed under her breath. "They let her leave the house?"

"Not the time," Qrow insisted. "Leo contacted me too. Salem's making her move _now_. They're giving Weiss to the White Fang and launching their attack on Haven tonight."

"You really think you can trust his intel after what he led us into?" Raven demanded.

"It matches up with what's happening now," Qrow pointed out. "Look, whether he's trying to distract us or not, Ruby's in trouble now and there might be even _more_ of these jerks waiting for us."

"Agreed," Raven nodded. "I'm on my way to her now."

She unsheathed her sword and cut open the portal. She knew it'd be a bumpy trip, but it would bring her right to Ruby… right to the danger she was in.

"Wait!" Qrow frantically yelled into the Scroll. "Raven, get me first: don't rush into this-!"

"Get back to the house, brother," Raven instructed. "I'm sending Ruby to you and away from Salem's followers. You keep her safe… you understand me? Tell me I can count on you to do that!"

"…you can," Qrow assured her after a very brief hesitation. "You absolutely can."

"I'm going to save my girl," Raven assured him. She ended the call and rushed into the portal, bouncing herself through the dark pathways… emerging in another stretch of dark forest, about thirty feet from Ruby and Yang and their encroaching adversaries, including the Fall Knight.

"Ruby!" Raven called, rushing over to her child. She prepared to slash open a new portal to Qrow, aiming just a few feet from her daughter's back…

A dagger found her blade, deflecting the arc of her swing. Raven tried to counterattack, but swinging with her left arm was slow and predictable, and her adversary's dagger was enough to hold her much larger weapon.

"Anomaly," the Spring Knight greeted. "What say we try this again?"

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Salem heard her footsteps approach. She was careful to command the Seer to stop broadcasting images of the battle; just a precaution until her new ally had fully gained her confidence. She turned to greet the girl… only to take notice of her dragging an unconscious Lie behind her and rise up in fervent anger: "What have you done?"

Blake dropped to one knee and bowed her head low. "Forgive me, my Queen. I didn't wish to do this… but he has betrayed you."

Salem barely heard Blake speak; she was so incandescent with rage her son had come to harm. But then she said a particular word that drew Salem's attention… "Betrayed me?"

"He asked me to help him contact Atlas and inform them of your plans," Blake explained, still kneeling on the floor. "I tried to dissuade him, but he was adamant. When I refused he threatened to break the engagement and I… I… forgive me if I acted out of turn. I only wanted…"

Blake composed herself after a deep breath. "…I only wanted what you promised, my Queen. I brought him to you to deal with as you see fit… and to accept whatever consequences I must, so long as I can see Raven Branwen **die**."

It wasn't the whole truth: even a practiced liar like Blake Belladonna couldn't hope to hide the extent of her deeds from Salem. But Salem understood the need for vengeance. She knew how it could override whatever better nature Blake may have had.

She wasn't happy she had to resort to violence, but for Blake… well, it sounded as though revenge mattered more than her suitor's happiness. That wasn't _quite_ what Salem hoped for, but if the High Leader of the White Fang was so desperate for her favor as to turn on someone who'd believed in her…

Salem smiled. "And you will have what I promised, child. You won't have to wait long at all."

She leaned down to examine Lie, his Aura suppressed but his breathing still quiet and steady… she ran her hand over her son's cheek and carefully searched him for bruises. "Poor little Lie… still so convinced they're worth saving."

"He… yes, he had hope," Blake acknowledged, her tone turning bitter. "He… thought I was better than I really was."

Salem nodded. "Do not worry, child… he'll understand his role in all this very soon…"

* * *

 _Mistral, White Fang Headquarters_

"There's no one here," Ilia reported as she stepped into the great hall to rejoin Blake and the others. "We were too late."

"Imagine that," Roman grumbled.

Blake ignored his quip. "We have to head to Haven then. Maybe Dad can beat him there and hold him off until we arrive…"

"Let's not leave him hanging," Sun agreed.

They headed for the exit, but before they could step out Blake stopped in her tracks, her three allies screeching to a halt alongside her. Blake's ears twitched and stood up as she scrunched up her face, concentrating.

"What is it?" Sun asked.

"Someone's… trying to talk to me," Blake answered.

"But the building's empty," Ilia noted. "Who would-?"

"Not _quite_ empty," Roman reminded her, pointing at the various corpses of human Huntsmen strung up on the walls of the great hall. "Do you think…?"

Blake followed the sound of a low rumble. She glanced around at the many dead humans –twisted trophies of Adam's madness- before following the source of the noise, a tall, muscled brute of a man with graying brown hair… a man still alive.

"You're going after Taurus?" the brutish man grunted.

"Well, looks like the White Fang didn't finish the job," Torchwick noted. "Shoddy work…"

"I know where he's gone," the man told Blake. "I can tell you where he is…"

"He's going to Haven," Blake replied. "We know that already."

The brutish man shook his head. "Not yet. Not until he gets the girl Salem promised him."

Blake narrowed her eyes. Someone else was helping Adam in his hunt for her?

Or…

"What girl?" Blake inquired.

"The Schnee heiress," the brutish man explained. "They set a trap for her and Adam's gone to collect."

"Schnee…?" Blake repeated, her eyes widening.

"Weiss?" Sun asked.

The brutish man noticed the look in Blake's eyes. "Sounds like you know her."

Blake knew she had to get to Haven. There were bigger things at stake than the life of one girl – even a dear friend of hers'.

But that wasn't what she was thinking now. If Adam wasn't at Haven, they might've had time to intercept him before he got to Weiss, or at least catch him unaware, depending on how far he'd gone. "Yes," Blake admitted. "I know her."

"You want to save her?" the man asked.

"Yes," Blake replied, surprised how quickly the word left her mouth.

"Well then, bring me along," the man insisted. "I'll tell you where he is. All I ask in return is a good seat when you smash his head in."

"He's kind of a big dude," Sun pointed out. "Might slow us down trying to bring him with."

He was right, of course. And the longer they delayed the more chance Adam had to reach Haven and complete his mission.

But if Weiss was in danger… if Weiss was here in Mistral…

"Yeah," Blake nodded. "But we'll do it anyway."

Roman scoffed. "Just what I needed… another detour."

"If he takes us to Adam, Torchwick, feel free to go," Blake told him. " _After_ you carry him there."

"I was afraid you were going to say that…" Roman grumbled, stepping over to help remove the brutish man from his bindings. "You got a name, sunshine?"

"Hazel," the brutish man replied. "And don't worry about me…"

Once he was released from his bindings he stood up, albeit unsteady on his feet, blood dribbling down his thigh. "If you have something that can hold my leg together… I can keep up just fine."

Ilia looked at the gushing red pooling on the floor. "You sure about this, Blake?"

"No," Blake admitted. "But I don't think Adam would leave a human here just to lead us into a trap."

Hazel pounded his fist into his open palm. "Rest assured… you bring me to Adam Taurus, and he will regret ever keeping me alive."

"I like this guy already," Roman noted.

"Patch him up," Blake instructed Ilia. "I'm guessing we've got a lot of ground to cover…"


	17. Tell a Lie

**Chapter Seventeen: Tell a Lie**

* * *

 _The Past of a Fragment Apace_

Raven held him for a long time, waiting for the tears to subside. She did her best not to begrudge Tai the terrible range of emotions he was going through, but she wasn't entirely able to respond to them… for the most part she just felt confused and did what she could to be supportive. Both Tai and Summer taught her how to hug, so hopefully those lessons were paying off now that Raven needed to be the one _giving_ them rather than _receiving_ them.

She tried again and again to say something to him, to offer reassurance and support to someone she still quite earnestly considered her friend… but the words never came to her. All she could do was hold him until he nodded off.

Raven should've left then, after she'd helped him find a peaceful rest. Qrow was in need of support too… he was drinking more than ever after the mission, and he'd already developed quite a bad habit after they left Beacon. Raven put up with it before because she knew he was just sad about never being able to tell Summer how he felt, but now that she was gone… no amount of drink would ever fill that void and she needed to remind him of that before he tried too hard.

But before Raven managed to leave Tai's house in Patch, she made a fateful decision… and went to look upon the baby girl Tai was left with. Summer had sent her a few pictures, but Raven had never managed to find the time to look; only hearing about her secondhand from Qrow and Tai. Raven had a general idea what she'd look like, but nothing could've quite prepared her for what she saw when she looked down into the crib at a girl with a tiny red streak in what few strands of dark hair sat upon her head.

Raven crouched low to see her clearly. She wasn't sure what Summer looked like as a baby, but she imagined this girl was very close. Raven couldn't quite suppress her curiosity when she leaned her finger down to poke the baby, almost as though she meant to check for a sign of life.

When her index finger found the child her eyes slid open. She looked up at Raven with big pools of silver, and her mouth hung open, almost like a crooked smile.

Raven wasn't sure how to describe what came over her then. She just wanted to keep looking at this tiny girl and her gums hanging out in the facsimile of a smile and her big silver eyes blinking so rapidly. The little girl reached out with her tiny hand, wrapping all five of her fingers around just one of Raven's own.

The girl was clearly healthy… she should…

She couldn't move her finger. She didn't _want_ to let this little girl lose the finger held in her hand. She didn't _want_ to stop looking down at the girl looking back up at her.

What was her name? Summer had told her in one of the first texts, maybe the third or fourth after announcing her birth…

Raven's eyes moved up to the tiny patch of red on the girl's head. It came back to her then: "Ruby."

The girl didn't react to the name; her smile never wavered.

Raven was smiling now too. She didn't quite know why, but something about looking at this little girl's toothless grin gave Raven a smile she couldn't get rid of.

* * *

 _Ten Years Later_

Somewhere in Anima, a boy woke from the same nightmare he always had… the memory of a demon slaying his family and destroying his village. He recalled it all in such vivid, graphic detail… and waking from his dream did _not_ help him find escape, because the images were as clear in his mind when he was awake as they were when he slept.

An arm reached over to find him. The girl hadn't even woken up; she just instinctively reached over to grasp him, to hold to him when she knew the past dogged at him. No doubt it bothered her too -recalling the same memory-but she was at least able to sleep through the night and only be haunted during the day. Not that she ever showed any sign of it… not that she ever seemed bothered at all.

Ren reached a hand down to Nora's arm and lay back down beside her, trying to follow her example and return to peaceful slumber. He wasn't in Kuroyuri anymore, no longer menaced by monstrous Grimm… just haunted by the thought of a monster and its long arms still reaching out to ensnare him.

He didn't have to travel much further. Once he scrounged together enough Lien they could go to Vale and Beacon, and put their skills to use. Their time in the wilderness had made them strong, and he was confident with a bit of formal training they could become even better.

And the thought of four years living in a secure academy with a roof over their heads and food in their bellies… the thought of knowing for sure Nora would be _truly_ content and not only putting on a brave face for his benefit.

He wanted to think they'd make friends and work towards a lifestyle more sustainable than eking out a living in the wilderness, sleeping in caves and under tall trees more often than they slept in beds. He'd known that luxury once before -and hoped Nora had too before she found her way to Kuroyuri- and wanted things to be just a little bit better for them before _all_ their childhood was lost.

Just a while longer… then once he was somewhere safe, maybe the nightmares would finally stop… maybe he'd be able to dream of the wonders that could be, and not merely the horrors that had been.

* * *

 _First Year at Beacon_

Ozpin didn't usually concern himself with the nocturnal habits of his students, but a recurring noise complaint from one of the first year dorms caught his eye. His first thought was the visitors from Atlas relaying information about him back to Ironwood in their rather inelegant attempts at espionage. But to his surprise, the problem seemed to be with the newly minted **Team JNPR** , specifically the boy Lie Ren.

Ozpin had made a point to recruit that one early on; his Semblance would prove incredibly valuable in time. He had no idea what dreams would trouble the poor boy enough to make him toss and turn and wake with a start, but he _did_ recognize a potential weakness to exploit in bringing Lie Ren into his thrall.

He didn't normally permit bringing Grimm into his school, but they were easy to disguise amidst the few brought in for Professor Port's lessons on hunting and anatomy. A Seer from the queen's own offices would make no noise as it floated in the halls, and Ozpin would be careful in granting it access in the dead of night.

The boy was not a heavy sleeper, but his teammates noticeably were. The team leader Jaune Arc was another potential candidate for his plans… he just needed to demonstrate some sign of his Semblance to see if Ozpin was right about him. And Pyrrha Nikos… another feather in his cap for the moment, but still a piece waiting for her turn.

For now, Lie Ren. He could not peer into the boy's dreams to see what troubled him… but the Queen could through her Seer's embrace.

A spiky tendril ran over Lie Ren's forehead. To him it felt like his mother's hand: a faint and distant memory, but one he would desperately latch onto and hold close, because he had gone so long without the feeling.

Salem set to her work, searching for what troubled the poor boy… and how she might use it.

* * *

Nora did her best to be strong and upbeat for Ren's sake, but he was losing so much sleep it was starting to affect his studies. Ren had always been a perfect student, but now he was nodding off in class and forgetting to hand in his assignments. He was struggling where he never had before, and he was spending a good amount of what little energy he had trying to put up the façade of being in better shape than he really was, putting on a brave face for his teammates.

Nora knew the look well; she'd worn it so many times for his sake. She'd worn it specifically so Ren _wouldn't have to_ , and it tore her up to think of Ren suffering in a way she couldn't help with.

Not that she hadn't tried. She locked him up in the dorm and told him to get some sleep. She told him to switch to a decaf tea when he hung out with Fox Alistair and squeeze in more midday naps. She even encouraged him to spend time away from he was trying to keep up with her energetic lifestyle and keep an eye on her, even at his own expense.

It hurt to send him away; it hurt even to let him be apart for a few hours a week when he saw friends without her. She felt safe with Ren around and without him it was hard for her not to feel lonely, even with new friends like Pyrrha and Jaune around. Whenever he was alone, she wasn't the bubbly, happy-go-lucky girl everyone knew… she was a scared orphan waiting for death to find her, be it from a Grimm finding her hiding place or the roar in her belly finally giving out.

She knew he wasn't well, but she couldn't seem to make him better. That _wasn't_ how things worked: it was her job to keep him safe.

And if anything, he seemed worse the longer he was around her. He kept trying to reassure her it wasn't his fault, but there was only one nightmare he ever had… only one thought to keep him up at night and torment him.

The nightmares were happening every week now. Before they came to Beacon, they were usually spaced apart by a few months or brought upon by particularly bad days or unusually cold and dreary nights. Something about finally arriving at Beacon, finding the security of a dorm and the food in their belly to make it to the next day… it gave Nora comfort, but robbed Ren of it.

He wouldn't let her in, he wouldn't acknowledge that any of this might've been brought on by her. But he was having more and more difficulty meeting her eye, and not only because he was so often dead on his feet.

She just wanted him to be better. That was why they came to Beacon.

So why did he just keep getting worse?

* * *

 _End of the First Semester_

"Sorry to trouble you with this," Ozpin told her via his Scroll, "but I thought you might find it of particular interest, since it's happening near Beacon and disproportionately affecting the company your daughter's teammate will someday inherit."

"You think I care about the Schnees losing Lien?" Raven scoffed. "You think _Ruby_ cares about that?"

"I think it bothers her teammate and Ruby will do what she can to _help_ said teammate," Ozpin smoothly countered. "She's very much like her mother that way; so quick to jump in the path of danger for the sake of her friend."

Raven wasn't sure if she'd be more insulted if Ozpin was referring to her or Summer… she settled simply on being irritated with him. "And what do you expect me to do?"

"Check in on your daughter," Ozpin replied. "If I am correct about her… _extracurricular activities_ , she's getting mixed up with the White Fang and their war with the Schnee Dust Company. I have some insights on this matter, and while I have warned her against getting involved, I can only be in so many places at once… and often need to bend the rules for special cases."

Raven recalled it well. "And Ruby is a special case for you, isn't she?"

He'd insisted Ruby be chosen for advanced placement. Taiyang had been only too eager to agree, and Ruby's eyes lit up at the prospect of getting that much closer to becoming a Huntress. Raven would've advised caution, but Ozpin extended the offer before Raven's counsel could be heard. Ozpin had something to gain from a silver-eyed warrior under his command, and of course he'd give her considerable leeway…

"Absolutely," Ozpin confirmed. "And I want to ensure her safety, just as you do. I'm not asking you to _fight_ for me again, Raven… just to watch her… be my eye once more."

That was what he'd wanted her and Qrow to be; watchful guardians, sentries in his carefully measured game against Salem.

Always in his thrall. Qrow was still foolish enough to be happy with it. Or drunk enough.

"For my girl, Oz," Raven reluctantly agreed. " _Only_ for her."

Ozpin smiled. "Of course."

* * *

Raven found Ruby and her friends near the docks when the White Fang started staging their theft. She was tempted to go and see her daughter and warn her about the danger she'd placed herself in –maybe scold her for good measure- but ended up falling back on her old instincts and investigating the matter personally.

The amount of Dust the White Fang was stealing was _far_ more than any buyer would purchase in a single transaction, with one shipping crafter after another being strapped to a Bullhead and prepped for transport. This wasn't just a robbery, but stockpiling, perhaps for some sort of assault…

Raven slid on her mask and moved to investigate. She hoped the sight of a Huntress would encourage petty criminals to flee and live to make their statement another day, rather than fight her over a few scraps of Dust. Some of them –not dressed in the Grimm masks like the rest of the White Fang- were wise enough to retreat with what spoils they had, but their leader rallied his men and ordered the fight. She _really_ didn't want to hurt (or even kill) anyone in front of Ruby if it could be helped, so Raven hoped she could convince them to disperse before Ruby and her teammates arrived.

Unfortunately, the man leading the operation would not be dissuaded, attacking with zealous fervor. Raven had little choice but to defend herself, and when facing an enemy with skills well below her own…

Some instincts were hard to suppress. Just because she hadn't _intended_ to kill meant she'd _forgotten_ how to.

The boy attacking her was a swordsman too with the strength to swing a sword and the measured skill to attack with finesse. Were he fighting someone less experienced, less capable…

Raven broke his Aura with a slash and left a deep cut in his face, splattering blood onto the Grimm mask hiding his eyes. That should've been enough. That should've been where the battle ended. But he charged her, blinded by his own blood, and Raven did as she had trained to do, falling back on habits learned long before Beacon.

She impaled him, striking a few vital organs. He wouldn't die immediately, but he'd pose her no more threat, and the soldiers under his command would be broken. If the White Fang operated as she believed they did, their leader was the strongest among them and commanded respect and authority through strength. Her defeating him in single combat would shatter his leadership and those serving under him wouldn't fight any longer.

What Raven _hadn't_ expected was one of those subordinates to rush to her leader's side and tend to him. Raven leveled her sword at the black-haired girl trying to help him, and she looked up with pleading amber eyes: "Please… please stop…"

Raven hadn't intended to attack again unless necessary, but she wasn't eager to leave a dangerous man alive… especially in a place so close to Ruby. Instead, she fished for information: "Why did you come here? Why are you attacking Vale?"

"We're not!" the girl protested. "We came to steal from the Schnees! We don't care what kingdom we're in!"

She was a subordinate. It was possible the girl simply _didn't know_ her leader's plan.

But the way she tended to him, the desperation with which she fought to save his life…

Ruby and her friends would be arriving soon. If the White Fang remained, even a few Huntresses-in-training would be enough to best them without their leader. He'd have done her child harm…

But if that hadn't been his _intention_ … why were they here? And why had Ozpin sent her to investigate?

Had he been hoping that Raven would remove this obstacle? Why? For what purpose.

Blood still fell from the surface of her blade. If Ruby saw her like this…

Raven cut open a portal when the girl moved to try and help her leader. She returned to Patch in an instant, before Ruby and her friends would even know she'd been present.

Team PRWV arrived minutes later, to find a girl none of them knew mourning the loss of a man clad in black, while the White Fang fled in their ships with what little they'd scrounged together.

* * *

 _The Same Day_

Ren heard that Jaune had persuaded Ozpin to allow Coco to remain… but _only_ Coco, who seemed strangely willing to go along with it, even though it meant her two remaining teammates were being sent away to whatever fate awaited those the headmaster was less invested in.

Ren often met Fox for tea on the weekends. He brought his pot one final time and waited with his friend in one quiet corner of the library, knowing they'd share a drink and then… well, then they really had no idea what would become of their brief friendship. Fox was a skilled fighter and would probably have grown into a capable Huntsman, but as it was he would be viewed as a washout from the prestigious Beacon Academy… and disabled by blindness, it wasn't likely he'd find work. He was like Ren and Nora, with no homeland to return to and no family waiting outside the academy walls. At least Yatsuhashi had a clan waiting to take him back.

But Fox was never one to dwell on his own problems. Instead all his attention was focused on Ren, listening to his hands tremble as he moved to fill their cups and hearing even the smallest yawns the Mistralian boy tried to stifle. "Still not sleeping, my friend?"

There wasn't any reason to lie to a man who could hear emotions between the pace of a heartbeat and the length of a breath. Ren had long since abandoned attempting such. "It's worse," he admitted. "It's almost every night now."

Fox knew the story well. "Has nothing helped?"

Ren shook his head. Fox knew the motion by the subtle clanging of his cheek bones. "I've tried a great many techniques. Still I wake from my nightmare and do not return to sleep. A few hours rest here and there are about as much as I can hope for.'

Fox took a long draught of tea. "I wish I could say it'd get better, my friend, but honestly… I still think about the loss of my partner on our mission. I don't compare my loss to yours', but… the nightmares have haunted me to."

Fox never even saw the girl's face. Yet he recounted her in great detail whenever he mentioned the partner whose hand slipped from his grip and fell from a Bullhead into a horde of Grimm. He'd cared for her, and that pain had never really healed.

Ren appreciated the opportunity to shift attention and focus back to Fox. "Did Coco say why she couldn't help you?"

Fox shook his head. "She…"

He hesitated a moment. Ren expected the occasional gaps in his dialogue, but this pause was too long, even for a man of few words. "What?"

"There was something in her heartbeat," Fox answered. "Some strange calmness when she told us we couldn't stay any longer. For the past few weeks she knew this was coming, and every time she struggled to speak to us, and her heart raced with fear. Today… today she was unburdened by that pain." Fox sighed as he set his cup back on the coffee table between them. "Maybe she simply accepted it."

Fox thought on it a moment. "Coco will be a great Huntress someday. Please help her if you can, Ren."

Ren wished he could do more than that, but it was an easy enough request to honor. "Of course, my friend."

They toasted a final time and enjoyed a few quiet moments.

* * *

 _One Fateful Night_

 _ **It was her fault. She drew the Grimm to you.**_

 _She was just a child. She was scared and alone._

 _ **Your mother and father would still be alive if not for her.**_

 _Grimm kill and destroy all that they find. Nora did not make them the monsters they are._

 _ **Yet you are tortured every night… and she sleeps untroubled.**_

Ren looked away from his bed to Nora still asleep in hers. Jaune was out with another of the girls he'd added to his collection, and Pyrrha hadn't yet returned. Ren had attempted to find an early night to sleep, because Ozpin had promised something to try and aid in his restlessness the following day… something Jaune had faith in.

Nora was sleeping so peacefully. She seemed so happy just to be there.

Ren's hands were trembling again. The memories wouldn't leave him.

It was a horrible thought. It was something dark in him, something more evil and monstrous than the Grimm that made him think this about his dearest friend.

 _ **She steals all your happiness away. Her very presence reminds you of your loss. So long as she lives you will never know peace.**_

It wasn't her fault…

It wasn't her who was broken, it was _him_ for even entertaining such a terrible thought.

He stood up from his bed and looked down at his oldest friend.

He looked at the nightstand beside his bed and the two halves of Storm Flower waiting for him.

The Grimm were monsters, certainly. But did they ever think of killing their best friend just because they were troubled by nightmares about her? Was there anything so monstrous as murdering someone as close to you they may as well have been family?

 _ **It'll all be over soon.**_

Ren's hand closed around the hilt of the weapon. For a long time he stared down at its curved blade.

He just wanted it to stop.

He just wanted to sleep.

"I'm sorry."

"Ren…?"

Tell a lie.

One stroke.

"I'm sorry."

Tell a lie.

Break the Aura.

"I'm sorry."

Tell a lie.

Cut deep in the skin.

"I'm sorry."

Tell a lie.

Hear her scream for the first time since she was a child.

"I'm sorry…"

Tell a lie.

Wedged somehow. Keep going.

"I'm sorry…"

Silence.

Look down on bloodied hands.

Even his conscience stopped reminding him. Even it had given up hope.

Stumble out into the hall, trailing blood.

Find Ozpin; find what was promised.

* * *

 _After Leaving Beacon_

Ren had the nightmare again, but the image seemed distant… further away. It didn't wake him, and he slept on a long ride by Bullhead, resting the entire trip. When they reached their destination, Ren was still asleep in the cargo bay while Ozpin (and the Maiden who granted Ren his powers), Jaune, and the collection of girls he brought with him disembarked to their new home.

She came to him in his sleep, running a hand along a cheek already stained with so much blood. When he opened his eyes to look upon her, his first response was fear… fear of red eyes and pallid gray skin and inky black lines running along her flesh, and fingers like ice upon his cheek.

She wasn't bothered by his fear. She smiled at him and cradled his head to her lap, like his mother had a lifetime ago in Kuroyuri. What fear he had melted away.

"I've been waiting for you Lie," she greeted, running her fingers over his forehead. "I've been waiting for so long for someone like you."

Her voice was so soothing. And the fingers on his forehead weren't so cold now; they felt inviting caressing his skin and running through his hair.

Ozpin told him they'd be coming here to join her. He expected a very different reception from a mad witch who fancied herself a Queen. He expected to kneel and kowtow, to prostrate himself to save his miserable murderer life.

"I know you think yourself a monster for what you've done," the red-eyed woman cooed. "And perhaps you are, but still a _beautiful_ monster, no less deserving of a place to call home or the chance to be free of pain and suffering."

Ren thought he heard a voice not his own in his dreams, urging him to kill Nora. But it was a harsh and direct command, not a soothing coo like this. It did not comfort him as this woman did now.

"You are not part of their world any longer, my knight," she told him. "But you are welcome in my house and at my table. This is your home now."

Ren hoped Beacon would be his home.

The words she promised now…

"Who are you?" Ren finally asked her.

She smiled. "My name is Salem."

* * *

 _Mistral, the Remnant Apart, Tonight_

Nora had to try and rejoin the others. Her presence had somehow destabilized the other Ren, and if she could knock him off balance again –or talk some sense into him, or _something_ -she could help even the overwhelming odds her friends now faced. With Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune all apparently out of the game against the two knights, they needed any advantage they could scrounge together.

"Get out of my way!" Nora demanded. When Emerald refused to comply, Nora started swinging her hammer. Magnhild passed right through the green-haired girl, and Nora stumbled past her again. She recovered as quickly as she could and whirled back around to see Emerald in a completely different spot, just watching Nora try to recover.

"You seem a little lost," Emerald observed. "Maybe you'd do better if you still had your _partner_."

Nora's grip tightened so much on the hilt of Magnhild she thought she might tear into the steel. She quickly changed tactics and switched to firing with the grenade launcher, trying to affect a greater area and force Emerald to leave the safety of her illusion.

Emerald did as Nora expected, dashing out from a completely different spot than she'd appeared to be in. Nora shifted her weapon back to melee combat and moved to pursue.

"Fortunately," Emerald noted, " _My_ partner still has my back."

A metal leg moved into Nora's path and connected with her face, sending her spiraling back and crashing into a nearby tree. Mercury moved to stand beside Emerald, pleased with his handiwork as he looked upon Nora trying to rebuild her Aura.

"And he brought friends," Emerald added, concentrating… and where there seemed to be only one Mercury standing beside her, now a dozen stood around her, all wearing the same sinister, cocky grin.

She had to get to the others. She couldn't let herself be distracted by this.

Had to get to Ruby… Jaune… Pyrrha…

Ren…

Metal leg clashed against steel hammer once again as the army of assailants surrounded her.

* * *

Cinder had changed tactics from before, quickly composing blades made of Dust to clash against Pyrrha's borrowed swords. Pyrrha had to drop her concentration on swordplay to try and extract smaller, trace metals from the blades Cinder constructed, eventually rendering them flimsy and vulnerable. Cinder would compensate by temporarily infusing her swords with a constant stream of fire, hitting Pyrrha with wave after wave of heat at a close enough range and a rapid enough pace she couldn't raise a barrier.

Cinder would recompose her blade after Pyrrha shattered one and keep pressing the attack. When her weapon fell apart she'd spit fire at close range. Pyrrha kept trying to back away and put distance between them, but to no avail. Cinder kept chasing after her, relentless in her pursuit.

It was all necessary to complete her objective, to keep her attention _away_ from Ruby and not let her anger fester. Instead she'd vent her rage at another target deserving of her wrath and avenge the humiliation and loss of face, rather than the maiming. It allowed her rage to find outlet while remaining comparatively measured.

The 'invincible girl' was skilled at carefully misdirecting her opponents by pushing their weapons aside at close range. But Cinder knew the secret of her Semblance and so counteracted Pyrrha's attempts to deflect her attack by superheating the surface of the blade, making every attempt for Pyrrha to push and repel the metal a grueling task in itself.

Pyrrha still had one advantage: with Cinder so focused on avenging the slight, she was very angular in her attack and not particularly focused on exactly _where_ her target was fleeing to. Pyrrha subtly maneuvered herself towards the others, hoping that they could regroup and make a stand or recover their captured friends and retreat. She was getting closer, she just needed Cinder to keep chasing her.

Neo was following the two carefully from among the trees, Oscar not far behind. She was searching for a vulnerable spot, figuring eventually Cinder's offense in the opposite direction would leave her vulnerable.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem as though Pyrrha was disrupting Cinder's Aura. Cinder may have been pushing her attacks directly ahead, but Pyrrha's counters weren't forcing Cinder to alter her defense and reposition Aura. If Neo wanted to end her swiftly, she'd have to strike twice in succession.

Neo was certain she could surprise Cinder with one hit. But two…

And Pyrrha was drawing them back to the open. She had to decide quickly if she was going to strike.

Neo unsheathed her blade from within her umbrella and prepared to run… when she saw a familiar tower of white flame step in to join them, standing at Pyrrha's back.

The wound in her stomach was acting up again…

Pyrrha saw it too; she was caught between them. She tried to focus one sword on each adversary, but she'd already been on the defensive fighting Cinder. Now she was trying to fend her off with half her power, and Cinder was quickly gaining ground.

"I was wondering when you'd finally join us," the Fall Knight noted. "I've missed you so much, Pyrrha…"

Neo just stared at him, reaching a hand down to hold where he'd wounded her.

Where he'd _killed_ her…

Pyrrha remained defiant. "I wish I could say the same."

The Fall Knight laughed. "You will… very soon. Soon I'll be the only thing on your mind…"

* * *

Yang did her best to snap out of it; to focus on the present and not be drawn back into thinking about Beacon. Ruby was in danger, and _that_ was her priority. Weiss was in danger, and however afraid Yang may have been of her captor, she couldn't leave her teammate in peril.

But then she'd be wounded again… and they'd leave… and she'd be alone…

Adam didn't seem bothered by her standing still. He didn't seem concerned with her at all, telling his men to take Weiss away. Yang tried to raise her fist, but her left hand was shaking too much.

Ruby kept looking to Yang for her help. Yang knew she was saying something, asking Yang to step up just as she always had, to be the protector her little sister needed. Any other day, any other adversary but this one…

About all she could do was stand between Adam and Ruby. She couldn't even raise her hands to fight; the best she could hope for was to prevent Ruby from taking a hit.

Adam finally approached them, keeping his sword at the ready. He seemed amused by Yang's fear… or validated by it, reminded of the terror he could inspire. And he already had the girl he'd come to capture… he was content to pick the bones with what remained.

Ruby readied her scythe, hoping Yang would respond to the noise and join the fight. Yang didn't react at all, still just staring at Adam drawing nearer.

If she raised her arm he'd cut it off. He'd cut it off all over again.

Her hand wouldn't stop shaking…

Ruby stepped past her sister and swung her scythe. Adam unsheathed his sword and easily overpowered her, clashing briefly against Crescent Rose and knocking Ruby to the ground.

Yang tried to react then, raising her still-trembling hand. Her sister could be hurt, and if _anything_ could overpower her fear of harm coming to her, it was harm coming to Ruby.

But it was too late. Mercury and Emerald rejoined the fray, hitting each sister at their backs and sending them crashing into the dirt. Adam stood over them with his sword still drawn, pointing the tip of his blade to Yang's cheek.

She looked up at that familiar grin, knowing that he could easily lop off her head and end it right there…

* * *

Raven should have held the advantage, wielding a much stronger blade and far exceeding the Spring Knight in combat experience and aptitude. But his little dagger -combined with careful applications of heat and cold to match the Dust blades Raven applied- kept her constantly on the defensive. Raven was stuck fighting with her off-hand while the Spring Knight ably swapped between and dexterously fought her off.

As ever, he was brutally efficient in chasing after her, striking without a word and wearing her Aura down. Raven glanced around the battlefield for some sign of assistance, but Yang and Ruby were pinned down and surrounded by three enemies… including a familiar looking boy with red hair and a Grimm mask… it seemed in this Remnant Raven hadn't served as his executioner.

Pyrrha was trying to fight off both the Fall Knight and the woman in red Raven presumed to be Cinder Fall… what a conspicuous name… and Pyrrha was outmatched trying to fight both of them. Just as it had been before, they had lost…

But not entirely.

Raven pressed her attack on the Spring Knight, even knowing he'd dodge her slower and less-coordinated left hand. All she needed was for him to retreat long enough…

Raven saw her opening and aimed her slash for the ground beneath Ruby and Yang, thinking of Qrow back at the house… thinking of a safe place to send her child…

Red and black opened on the ground beside them. Ruby took hold of her sister and moved to jump through.

"No!"

A black mass erupted from Cinder Fall's left arm and raced out after Ruby, ensnaring her in monstrous black fingers. Ruby was yanked back by the terrifying black arm while her sister tumbled from her grip, Yang disappearing into the portal.

Raven instantly moved to attack Cinder's monstrous, Grimm-like arm, to hack it off and free her child from Cinder's grasp. As she moved to arc her swing, the Spring Knight froze the ground beneath her feet, the ice climbing up and locking her in place, slowly covering her entire body in the frozen material.

The portal remained open. Ruby struggled in Cinder's grasp to get through… Raven tried desperately to reach for her daughter as the ice slowly enveloped her…

Pyrrha was granted a moment's reprieve from her battle and pushed the Fall Knight away from her, moving to attack Cinder, only for Cinder's silver-haired disciple to move in her path and kick her away with a metal foot, driving her into the portal.

"Mercury!" the Fall Knight snapped. "Why did you do that?"

"We got what we came for," Mercury reminded him. "We should give Salem what she wants… and not screw this up a second time. You can go chase your old girlfriend after we get the relic."

Cinder wasn't pleased to lose the target of her rage either, but she was rather placated to have Ruby Rose safely in hand… and squirming to escape her. Raven continued to try and reach, even as the ice climbed further up her arm and covered up one eye.

The Spring Knight stepped in her path, obscuring much of her vision. He crouched down to meet her eye, blocking Ruby from her sight. "This is where it ends, anomaly… it's time to go home."

Out of the corner of her eye Raven saw a flash of pink and a glint of metal… that girl Nora, the one every bit as protective of Ruby as Yang and herself had been…

She fixed her attention on the Spring Knight's back and opened her mouth to speak to him, only for the green-haired girl to strike her back with a kama and drive her into the portal too. The only word to leave her mouth was a yelp of surprise.

The Spring Knight stepped aside and took ahold of the back of Raven's freezing head, letting her see Ruby continue to struggle in Cinder's grasp. Raven tried desperately to move her arm, to reach her daughter… she was the only one left who could…

Her fingers very nearly brushed Ruby's arm as the ice overtook them. Her face was covered up and her connection to her portal was lost, red and black swirling and fading away, her child's last escape route cut off.

Lie looked on with grim satisfaction. Ruby continued to struggle in Cinder's grasp and tried to reach out to him. "Why are you doing this, Ren? Why are you working for Salem?!"

Lie turned to her and seemed surprisingly… cordial in his response. "The Queen has a need for a silver-eyed warrior. One was gifted to me, and I returned the favor. So it shall be your fate in this world as it was in mine."

Ruby's anger was replaced by genuine fear. If what Raven and Qrow described happening to her mother were indeed going to happen to her…

And Weiss was about to be publicly killed by the White Fang…

And Jaune was still unresponsive somewhere on the ground…

"Let's return to Haven," the Fall Knight suggested. "I think it's time we were done with this."

"Yes," Cinder agreed, tightening her grip on the now still Ruby. "I'm looking forward to bringing Salem her prizes…"

* * *

Not far from them, still hidden in the trees, Neo looked on at their foes as they collected Raven Branwen to join Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee. She knew where they'd be going, and hopefully she could catch them unaware… but all her enemies were united in one place, and the pain of her wound would not leave her for even a moment when her eyes found the Fall Knight.

And Jaune… she hadn't seen Jaune, she didn't know what became of him after the Fall Knight announced his intention to kill the boy…

He could still be somewhere in these woods, but if she didn't follow Cinder now she could lose her chance at revenge… either by the strength Cinder surrounded herself with or by whatever power she'd acquire at Haven or by returning to this Salem and once again moving beyond Neo's reach.

She wanted to help Jaune… she wanted to know if nothing else whether he was still alive…

But if she spent too long searching…

They were on the move now, quick to collect their prizes and move into place. Neo had to decide.

Oscar beside her was deep in thought. There'd be no point in joining the fray now, and his allies may have been able to regroup but they were functionally scattered and undermanned to try and match a threat of this level. His contributions –even with Ozpin's help- wouldn't amount to much…

"What do we do?" he asked under his breath. Neo met his eye as she too became uncharacteristically contemplative.

Adam and his White Fang led the departure with the Schnee in tow. Cinder and her subordinates followed after with Ruby Rose. The two knights carried Branwen, still encased in ice. Her target was at the center of their formation, and Neo couldn't hope to strike her yet.

But she wasn't going to squander the opportunity. She moved to follow.

Oscar tried to reach after her, falling just short of finding the short girl's wrist. Once again, Oscar asked: "What do we do?"

 _We cannot allow Salem to obtain the Relic of Knowledge,_ Ozpin answered. _We have to intercept her forces at Haven and make our stand there._

"What about Ruby?" Oscar asked. "You _know_ what Salem will do once she has her."

 _And I have no wish to gamble with her life. But our hand has been forced, Oscar. We must think of the safety of the world_ _ **right now**_ _. We may be able to save Miss Rose before Cinder can deliver her, but any one of Salem's followers can be empowered by the relic._

"But you said we needed Ruby to defeat her," Oscar reminded him. "Do you really think we'll be able to save her _after_ the bad guys get a head start on us?"

 _I think, Oscar… we have to act now, and hope that I was correct in investing so much effort into finding Ruby Rose her protectors. I have to believe that whatever the dangers we're facing now, the love of her family and friends can pull her from Salem's grasp… and we can be strong enough to focus on the relic and not allow any of our enemies to use it._

 _I know what you feel for her, Oscar… but there is so much more at stake than just what you feel. We_ _ **have**_ _to trust the others to save her in our stead._

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Penny was taken aback by the barren red waste and the pools of black blood. Even a machine built to fight against the Grimm was bound to be impressed by the sheer scale of Salem's corruptive influence, and that machine was still just human enough to be comforted at finding a castle to step inside, depositing herself and Ozpin on a second floor balcony.

"Hurry," Ozpin implored her. "Salem will detect my presence very soon."

He led her into the ancient stone keep to a single room where Salem kept her most valuable treasure, still encased in a silver cocoon. Penny recognized her at once, even frozen in time as she was.

"You can free her with the Maiden Aura imbued in you," Ozpin explained. "The pain will be terrible… but the Aura will burn away the silver light while it is dormant. Go on and wake her."

Penny looked briefly down at her hands, at the hands Ruby Rose once held and assured her belonged to a girl just as real as any other. The Aura granted to her from Amber danced like fire in her palms as she reached up to save the girl locked away.

"There is still much to be done," Ozpin told her. "Once you have her we will have to move quickly to collect the others."

"And then what happens, Professor?" Penny inquired. "What happens when you have all these pieces you need?"

Ozpin smiled and whimsically replied: "We save the world."


	18. What We Have Left

**Chapter Eighteen: What We Have Left**

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

Qrow saw the portal manifest a few feet from him and looked expectantly to the swirling mass of red and black. When he saw Yang tumble out he moved quickly to help his niece back to her feet and out of the immediate path of the escape hatch Raven opened for them. He kept expecting Ruby to follow right after her sister, but Qrow took the time to try and help Yang regain her bearings.

Pyrrha fell out next, sliding along the wooden floor. Qrow moved to help her too, while Yang shook the cobwebs loose and asked: "Where's Ruby?"

Before Pyrrha could answer, Nora fell in after her. Qrow turned his attention to the portal, watching it slowly shrink in its circumference… the swirling mass gradually vanishing into literal thin air.

Qrow glanced around at the three girls who'd successfully made it through then back to the empty air as realization hit him. "No…"

"We have to go back," Yang quickly added.

Qrow took stock of who he had left. Jaune, Neo, and Oscar hadn't made it back either, and presumably Weiss was still captured along with Ruby… and there was no way Raven would've left the fight while Ruby was still in danger.

"We know where they're going," Qrow finally decided. "We can get to Haven faster than they can if we leave from here."

"We don't know Ruby's being taken to Haven," Pyrrha pointed out. "Cinder or one of her followers could take her right to Salem!"

"There's no way Salem will let these kids from another world get the relic for her," Qrow countered. "She'll want one of her own to take it out of the vault, so Cinder won't bolt until she gets it. And if I were her, I wouldn't leave myself alone with two people who had a lot of the same tricks I did."

"You're putting a lot of faith in the bad guys not trusting each other," Yang dryly observed.

"It seems like a safe bet," Qrow grimly replied. "I know none of you are in any hurry to get up and keep fighting, but get yourselves together now, because our head start ain't gonna last forever."

"And what will we do when we beat them to Haven?" Pyrrha asked. "We'll still be outnumbered and facing adversaries stronger than we are."

Qrow thought on it. "What about Neo or Oscar? Any idea what happened to them?"

"No," Yang admitted. "We… got separated at some point in the forest. Neo went off to do her own thing and I don't know if Oscar tried to fight them or not."

Qrow grumbled. "Well, then, we work with what we have left. Just…"

He stopped for a moment and glanced between the three girls. "…I won't tell you this'll work out, because honestly, I'm pretty sure it _won't_ and this'll get bloody. I won't blame you if you've got better things to do… because honestly? I don't really have much of a plan beyond 'try and stop them.'"

Qrow didn't believe for a moment any of them would take it. But he wanted to give them the out.

"They have my little sister," Yang fiercely replied. "That's the end of the conversation."

"And I came here to stop Salem from getting her hands on Ruby," Pyrrha reminded them. "I mean to fulfill my mission."

Nora was quiet for a few seconds. "I'm tired of losing people… to Cinder, to Salem, to any of them. I'm not letting them have Ruby and if I can I'm not letting them keep Ren either."

"What about Jaune?" Pyrrha asked in half a whisper.

"If we can we get him too," Nora firmly replied. "But we don't know where he is and we _do_ know –or think we know- where Ruby's going. And we can't afford to split up now." Nora clapped Magnhild over her shoulder. "We _all_ have to go, because if we don't we've already lost."

Qrow nodded. "Well, girls… never _did_ want to live forever. Shall we?"

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Penny winced as the synthetic layer covering her hands burnt away under the silver light –exactly as Ozpin had warned her- but she was compelled to continue when she saw her friend start to emerge from within the cocoon, Penny tightening her grip on Ruby's cloak and slowly pulling her free. Ozpin himself glanced about the chamber for any sign of the queen. He still had a great deal to do.

Penny shifted her stance to take the strain of Ruby's weight once the girl fell into her arms. She reached a metal finger up to Ruby's throat, searching for a pulse… surprised she was still alive. "How..?"

"She wasn't ready to use her power," Ozpin explained, "and some of the energy rebounded upon her. Maintaining the cocoon left Salem with a replacement pair of eyes… for future use."

"Why would Salem need silver eyes?" Penny asked.

"Her control over the Grimm is not absolute," Ozpin replied. "She has always needed a method to keep them in thrall, and the powers of a silver-eyed warrior grant her that. But that power is only useful so long as the organic matter can survive, and her soul rots and corrupts everything it touches.

"Now come," Ozpin instructed, hefting the Relic of Choice in one hand. "She isn't the only one I've come to save."

* * *

The Grimm were Salem's eyes and ears. Her Seers coordinated their efforts and enforced her will, but _every_ subspecies served one purpose or another. Every Nevermore could relay useful information as it circled the sky and every Beowolf could find a new hidden path on the ground. Every one of her subjects had something to offer, even those who'd barely had time to exist at all before they were inevitably destroyed in the slow march to obtaining her revenge and attaining her rightful seat.

They whispered to each other of a long-held pain, of their internment in their own cursed bodies. Salem knew the pain well, and though she had no intention of freeing the beasts when they could be put to use in her designs, she still took the time to understand when they spoke to each other.

The Grimm wandering her castle whispered to each other about something they feared; something they feared every bit as much as they feared her, their alpha and their queen, with a dull but immeasurably powerful Aura. Only one being wandering the surface of this remnant had a soul the Grimm did not seek to harm and could not hope to match.

Ozpin had returned home. Why had he not informed her?

This was not an oversight. Ozpin intentionally stymied their invasion of Atlas and wasted so many of their resources. What had he gained from that debacle?

If it was the Relic of Creation there'd be no need for him to return. He'd have made whatever he needed to and moved on. Why come back to her keep after vexing her so?

She wanted to believe this was the wizard playing one of his games, but no… there had to be something he _needed_ here in order for him to bother returning.

He gave her the silver-eyed warrior already, and then he entrusted the care of-

Branwen. The one who could open the portal to another world… a different remnant to flee from her, or perhaps to gain powers from instead.

But still… what was he doing? What did he gain from this?

Salem would hasten to learn, once she secured her own assets. First Branwen, then Lie.

* * *

Blake looked down at Ren lying in 'his' bed, waiting to see how long it'd take him to wake. She wasn't sure exactly how he'd respond to her… no doubt the deception had gone a bit too well, and he probably hadn't enjoyed being dragged down castle hallways by his foot either. Still, his sleep seemed pleasant enough.

Not for the first time, she found herself watching him as he rested. She couldn't deny she had considered what the moment would be like… what she might see were she to wake beside him in a proper bed, rather than crumpled up together in a dim hallway.

There must've been something wrong with her, to place so much of her faith in the men in her life… because what he'd persuaded her to do…

Ren concentrated the _instant_ he awoke, reaching his hand to hers'. Blake was quick to accept it, to savor the feeling of warmth before her senses would be dulled under the gray cloak of his Semblance, hiding them from the Grimm and –more importantly- from Salem.

Ren cast her a few groggy blinks, then his soft smile. And Blake remembered how he'd persuaded her to go along.

"Ready?" he asked her.

"No," Blake admitted. "But I trust you."

Ren nodded, leading Blake by her hand. She couldn't help but be optimistic about their chances, despite the castle they resided in, the Grimm surrounding them, and the inevitability of Salem's wrath… there was nothing quite like having a hand to hold to offer strength and reassurance.

Before they stepped out into the hall, however, Blake's sensitive ears stood on end. "There's someone outside. _Multiple_ someones."

"Salem?" Ren immediately inquired.

Blake shook her head. "It's a man's voice… and a much higher-pitched girl."

Ren reached for his father's dagger. "Then let us be prepared, in case they try to impede us."

Blake nodded and reached for Gambol Shroud. If anyone meant to get in their way…

They stepped out into the hall. He saw them instantly, turning his attention from the door to the Fall Knight's room, smirking at the sight. "Mister Ren. High Leader."

"Professor?" Ren realized, before spotting an orange-haired girl beside him, holding a girl in a red cloak in her arms. "Penny… Ruby…"

"Who?" Blake wondered.

Ren quickly regained his focus, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you here? What happened in Atlas?"

"Atlas remains the last bastion of safety from Salem's grip, exactly as intended," Ozpin answered. "As for why I'm here…"

He opened the door, greeting the three girls who'd dutifully waited inside, knowing no greater purpose than to anticipate their master's return. Each of them dropped to kneel, reminding Ozpin further the extent of his guilt.

"…I mean to undo my misdeeds," Ozpin explained, raising an axe wreathed in vines. "And to give us a chance of escaping this castle alive."

* * *

 _Mistral, Forest on the City Outskirts_

Blake was astonished at how Hazel managed to keep pace with them, despite the blood constantly left with every step. His bindings were soaked red and his leg looked like it grew worse every time she glanced back, but Hazel never seemed pained. Blake did her best to keep her eyes pointed forward, knowing they were drawing close to their destination… if Weiss had indeed been lured into the ambush.

Ilia moved to the front of their party and signaled for the others to stop. She traced her gloved hand in the dirt, finding upset terrain between her fingers. "Someone was fighting here," she explained, digging up the ground and retrieving a spent shell casing.

Sun stepped past her to check the trees as well as the dirt. "Think it was them?"

"If I had to guess," Blake dryly replied, moving past Ilia. "We can't wait too long; we may not be far behind them."

Sun suggested they search for a few minutes and Blake patiently reminded him of their timetable again. Ilia, however, noticed something lying amidst the trees that shouldn't have been there… something white with golden trim… and then something blonde and scraggly.

Ilia moved to try and roll the body over, only to find herself surprised by how heavy it was… the bulky armor plating made moving him no easy feat. When she finally managed to roll him onto his back she looked down at his face… he didn't _seem_ especially familiar.

She turned to inform Blake of what she'd found, only for Torchwick to step right past her, leveling his cane at the boy, flipping up a targeting sight from the very bottom of the weapon. "Fall Knight…" he mumbled.

Hazel lumbered over too, flanking Ilia's other side and looking down at the boy with a surprising degree of anger lining his features… more emotion than he showed when Ilia wrapped up his leg and he _should_ have been in unbearable pain. He seemed in much worse shape just looking down at this tall blonde boy.

"Uh, guys…?" Ilia tentatively asked. "You… know this guy?"

"He took my girl," Torchwick snarled.

"He tried to kill me," Hazel grunted.

"Oh, he tried that on me too," Torchwick added. "So you know, I get to kill him first. Win on points."

"I'd be willing to let you," Hazel agreed. "So long as he stays dead when you're done."

"I _knew_ I liked you," Roman smirked. "So if there are no objections…"

"Wait!" Ilia frantically protested, finally drawing Blake's attention, as she and Sun hastened to join the three.

"What's going on?" Blake inquired. "What did you f- **Jaune**!"

Sun immediately reached over to pull up Torchwick's cane. "Easy, triggerhappy. He's a friend of ours'."

"…one more good reason to kill him then," Torchwick sneered. "Given your track record."

Blake reached down to feel Jaune's neck, searching for a pulse. She pressed her head down to whatever patch of his chest wasn't covered by heavy metal plate, listening for his heartbeat…

"He's alive," Blake realized, astounded. "Why is he in Mistral?"

"Ruby said she was heading this way," Sun pointed out. "Maybe he decided to tag along."

That sounded plausible to her. Blake beckoned Sun over so they could hoist Jaune up into a sitting position, pressed up against a tree trunk. Blake did what she could to resuscitate him, trying to gently wake him.

Torchwick then interceded by bashing Jaune's head with his cane. Before Blake had a chance to scold her erstwhile ally, Jaune reached his hands up to his scraggly blonde locks, wincing as he returned to painful consciousness. "Hey, what's the big idea wi- Blake! Sun!"

"We'll save the reunion for later," Blake insisted. "What happened here, Jaune? What happened to Weiss? Or to Adam?"

Jaune's eyes widened. "Weiss… we have to get her, Blake. I didn't see everything, but… uh…" He stopped upon noticing the towering, ominous presence of Roman Torchwick and the taller, bigger man beside him, to say nothing of the unfamiliar freckled girl with big blue eyes. "Uh… hey?"

"Fall Knight," Torchwick greeted.

"Wha-? No, wait, you've got the wrong guy!" Jaune insisted. "You're… uh, say, Torchwick, what do you know about these knights running around?"

"Knights?" Sun repeated.

"Okay… uh, well, guys… jeez, how to put this…" Jaune mused, "See, there's this guy who looks just like me but all covered in fire and he's from another dimension."

Blake, Sun, and Ilia blinked a few times. "He's… _what_?" Blake asked.

"Look, I _know_ it sounds crazy, but the long and short of it is guys who look just like me and Ren are working for the bad guys now and… and, uh, that's a whole _other_ thing in and of itself," Jaune continued, sounding all the more unhinged with every word, "but we don't have time for this! Weiss and Ruby are in trouble!"

"Ruby?" Blake repeated, quickly pushing aside any thoughts about other dimensions and Jaunes perpetually aflame and focusing on her friend. "What does she have to do with this?"

"Oh, man, that's _another_ thing I _really_ wish I had the time to explain, but we have to get going if we want to catch up to them!" Jaune insisted. "They're probably halfway to Haven already!"

"Haven?" Blake asked. "Why are they going to Haven? Are they going to kill Ruby the same time they execute Weiss?"

"Okay, yeah, still more stuff to explain but _we don't have time!_ " Jaune replied. "We have to get after them; I don't know how many of the others have escaped!"

"If you think I'm going to trust the word of a rambling lunatic who kidnapped my girl…" Roman growled.

"Your girl? You mean Neo?" Jaune asked. "She's with us. I helped her after the evil version of me tried to kill her!"

"I know what kind of 'help' you offer, Fall Knight," Roman snarled at him, reaching past Blake and hoisting up the boy in heavy armor by the collar of his hoodie. "You think I'll ever forget what you did to her…"

"No, I mean I _healed_ her!" Jaune replied. "With my Semblance!"

"You have a Semblance now too?" Sun wondered. Blake glared at him but couldn't quite hide her skepticism.

"Yeah, I can…" Jaune took note of the leg wound of the big man behind Blake and Sun. "…I can help you with… wow, that looks bad."

"You'd know," Hazel grunted. " _You_ were the one who wounded me."

"Look, _not_ me, okay?" Jaune insisted. "I… I can help you, if you'll just… I don't know, trust me for a few seconds."

Blake glanced up at Hazel, who gruffly replied: "A few."

Jaune nodded and tentatively moved his hands to Hazel's leg. He concentrated, drawing on his considerable reserves of Aura… and pushing it to Hazel, empowering the man's own considerable Aura, speeding up the healing process that had otherwise been neutered by Hazel's constant movement on his injured leg.

Hazel watched as the damage slowly repaired itself, his Aura constantly replenishing from Jaune's actions. "Didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I for a while there!" Jaune admitted with a smile.

"You said Neo's alive," Torchwick pointed out. "Then take me to her, so maybe I can be persuaded not to kill you when you finish patching up the big guy's splinter."

"He's a friend, Roman," Blake insisted. "You want to fight so badly, save it for when we get to Adam."

"Sounds to me like we have a few common enemies," Jaune observed. "And if you wanna shoot me so bad, Torchwick, there's a guy who looks _just_ like me who's done plenty to deserve it."

Roman hadn't yet managed to lower his targeting reticule. He didn't want to take this boy out of his sights, especially when he thought of Neo… when he remembered the taunts offered by the Fall Knight during their fight in Vale…

Roman glanced at Blake again. She'd gone through something similar in forcing herself to lower her gun. She'd made the hard choice to let _him_ live.

He sighed and finally put his weapon away, leaning on the head of his cane. "This better check out, kid. Only reason you're still alive is because you're a friend of the kitty's."

"Well, glad to hear it," Jaune nodded. "And I've got a few other friends waiting to help us out, too…"

* * *

 _Haven Academy_

Lionheart stood at the top of his staircase, overlooking the main entrance hall as Qrow and the trio of girls shuffled in. Cinder had already contacted him to inform she was on her way and to prepare the vault, and he'd sent an affirmation. He half-expected Watts to have intercepted the message chain and told Cinder to bring reinforcements, or for Salem's Seer to sneak out of its hidden chamber to entangle him… he knew the only reason they hadn't killed him _yet_ was because they still needed him to unlock the lift to get underground.

But the two knights who arrived at his academy a few days beforehand seemed confident they could get into the vault. Had they managed to capture the Spring Maiden? From what Qrow told him, it didn't seem as though she was the girl Cinder and the others were bringing back with them…

Qrow climbed the staircase to look out at the room alongside the headmaster. He took stock of the various locations and the support beams and doors leading about to the interior of the academy. "Not a lot of cover or hiding spots. This'll be fun."

"Is this all you brought with you?" Leo asked, trying to conceal his disappointment… and his fear.

"All I had to work with at the moment," Qrow admitted. "But we have to do _something_ , Leo. Salem's little band of buddies is coming, and we either make a stand here or she makes off with the relic."

"And then the White Fang destroy the academy and conceal any trace of the crime," Leo added with a grimace. "Who is Cinder bringing with her?"

"Those two knights and her cronies from Beacon," Qrow replied. "Same ones she registered as her teammates here. So… yeah, things ain't looking so hot."

Leo tried to ignore the instinct to run before Cinder and the others arrived. But how far could he hope to run with Salem, the White Fang, or Qrow all chasing after the cowardly traitor? Whoever won this scuffle would know he abandoned the battle and have good reason to dispose of him.

"Will you… need any help?" Leo tentatively offered.

He sincerely hoped Qrow would say no.

"Just let them in the front door and then stay out of the way," Qrow instructed. "You've done enough, Leo. I get what they put you through."

His first response was overwhelming relief. But the more he thought on it…

Had he? Had he done anything more than try to save his own miserable life by playing both sides? Had he admitted his deceit to a man who was –at least nominally- his friend and ally _before_ he'd concluded Salem would kill him when she no longer had a use for him?

Cowards died again and again every time they thought on their list of misdeeds. And his was long.

Qrow was giving him an out. Leo could do what Qrow asked and then clear the area before the White Fang could lock it down.

And there he was again, thinking only of his own safety and not about all those who'd be facing danger on his behalf. He was perfectly willing to let them fight –and die- so he could live but one more day.

What happened to him? Hadn't he wanted to be a Huntsman?

Hadn't he put up banners all across Anima asking citizens to attend his academy with the tagline 'be a hero?'

Leo looked back at his office, where his bracer awaited. If he helped… he may not have ever been the greatest fighter, and age had weathered him even further, but…

"I won't leave you, Qrow," Leo finally decided. "I don't know that I can be much help, but…" He sighed. "…Salem will kill me anyway when this night is done, even if I personally hand her what she wants."

Leo placed his hand on Qrow's shoulder. "Whatever I can do, my friend. If I'm going to die, I'd rather it be fighting beside you than begging at her heel."

Qrow nodded. "Well, if you get the chance, flank 'em. We'll take whatever help we can get."

Leo took a moment to remember the feeling, and to cast a more confident smile than he should've been able to manage.

He was facing long odds against a Maiden and two very powerful warriors, to say nothing of the skill Cinder's followers possessed and the insane zealotry of the White Fang. And he was facing them with a drunk and a bunch of ungraduated students.

And yet… it felt like a better course of action than trying to run. It made him think, impossible as it may have sounded…

He just had to remember this feeling when the fighting started. He just had to _try_ and be a braver man than he'd been for so long now.

Maybe Ozpin could be proven correct, if only for tonight.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Ren, Blake, and Penny observed as Ozpin slashed with the axe, cutting away the restrictions he'd placed over Coco Adel's mind, allowing her to once again think and dream and wish for herself, rather than abide by the brutal whims of her master, empowered by Ozpin's own hand.

It did little to help her with the terrible memories she experienced, as she thought back on all that the Fall Knight had inflicted on her… and all she'd eagerly done and gone along with, all for the sake of pleasing her master. Ozpin imagined it made the poor girl feel sick, to say nothing of feeling personally betrayed by the headmaster who sacrificed her to the Fall Knight.

Ozpin tried not to let his guilt bother him. There was still too much to be done. He moved right by Coco to Cinder Fall, knowing this next one would be… precarious.

The very _instant_ Cinder was released from the mental blocks Jaune and Ozpin had placed, she drew Dust embedded in her dress to her hand, composing a blade. Ozpin raised his cane to clash against her sword, Ren and Blake quickly preparing themselves to join the fight too.

"Ozpin, you would dare to let that… that _boy_ control me?" Cinder snarled at him. "And to rob me of the power I was promised?!"

"You came into my house seeking to kill me and steal the very relic that enslaved you," Ozpin reminded her. "And we do not have time to discuss who among us has the moral high ground. Salem traded you for a more loyal subordinate. Hate me if you wish, but reserve your wrath until after you've escaped this place."

Ozpin pushed Cinder aside and set to work repairing Emerald's mind with the relic, more of the vines withering away and vanishing from the surface of the axe. He knew there wasn't much energy remaining, and his own reckless usage of it could very well undo his plan to make amends… all that he'd done in the name of pageantry; all to deceive Salem into thinking her position was more secure than it appeared to be.

Once Emerald was able to readjust Cinder glanced at those around her. Coco had been one of Ozpin's students: he betrayed her too. The orange-haired girl had been sent by Ironwood to keep an eye on the professor, so she'd already anticipated betrayal. Emerald would surely defer to Cinder and follow her lead. She could rally the others and kill the bothersome old man now…

Ozpin felt Cinder's eyes on his back. "If you want to see me dead, your wish will be granted soon enough," he assured her. "Because Salem will be seeking me out. She must've realized what I've done now."

"And what –exactly- _have_ you done, Professor?" Coco Adel wondered.

"I've brought you to the end of the story," Ozpin smiled. "Sooner than I intended –sooner than you could ever have hoped to prepare for- but we rarely decide our course before destiny finds us. Often the most important decisions in our lives are defined by a single moment.

"I have a plan to finally end Salem's threat," Ozpin replied. "I know many of you have no reason to trust me, but what other need could I have to free you from my thrall, if not to add your considerable prowess to my plan?"

Cinder reluctantly conceded the point. It didn't help in quelling her anger.

"Now, once we go to retrieve Raven, we will have to move swiftly," Ozpin explained. "Two worlds will depend on it."

* * *

 _Haven Academy_

Leo got the message and opened the front door. The Fall Knight led the way, whimsically waving his arms about while Lie followed after, an unconscious Raven Branwen over his shoulder. Cinder followed with her disciples, carrying a still squirming Ruby in her black hand.

"Let's do this quickly," Cinder implored. "I go into the vault with you and retrieve the relic first… and then you two can go on your way."

The Fall Knight nodded. "I'm sure we can all be civil. No need to make this… _complicated_." He cast a glance over at Emerald. "Though if I _were_ to drag out a good-bye…"

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I don't think so."

The Fall Knight scoffed. "Suit yourself. You'll really be missing out… you quite enjoyed yourself the last time."

Emerald shuddered at the thought. The Fall Knight seemed content with watching her squirm before turning his attention to the hall… and the four people standing between them and the entrance to the vault, and his good mood quickly evaporated. "Or… maybe some things will get complicated after all…"

Emerald followed his gaze and quickly focused on Lie's mind, obscuring Nora from his view. The Spring Knight looked at what appeared to be three old adversaries in their path and grumbled: "Pyrrha…"

Pyrrha looked upon her two former teammates, tensing up. Nora gave her a quick reassuring look and the redhead did her best to relax. She needed to be strong now. They all did.

"You again?" Cinder growled. "Didn't you learn from the last time?"

"I was never the best student," Qrow admitted, drawing Harbinger and steadying himself. "And you cut things short for the kids. They're probably better at it than I was…"

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby cried from Cinder's grasp. "Yang! Guys!"

"Hang on, Ruby," Yang requested, raising both her fists. "We're not letting them get away this time."

Mercury glared at her before turning his attention to Lionheart. " _You_ did this! You let them in!"

Leo nodded. "They arrived before you did. I thought," he racked his brain to think of a cover, "I thought if you defeated them before you could deal with them again and finally be rid of the problem!"

Cinder stroked her chin with her right hand. "And you didn't think to tell us that, Lionheart?"

"I… uh…" Leo mumbled, slowly stepping backwards, still playing the fool and the coward.

Cinder knew what fear looked like. Salem taught her to recognize it, to exploit it, and if possible to _master_ it. And her own experience taught her to lie and deceive… and she knew an amateur at a glance.

Cinder drew Dust shards embedded in her dress to her hand, using her Maiden fire to forge a sword in her hand. She couldn't kill him just yet, but she would make a point to remind him who his friends were.

"Well, I won't be killing _all_ of them," the Fall Knight mused. "The blonde I kinda wanna take home with me… and Pyrrha, of course… she can finally rejoin her team."

Pyrrha drew the two swords to her hands and prepared herself. "One way or another, Jaune… this is the last time you ever antagonize me."

Not the best taunt he'd ever heard. It had never been Pyrrha's forte.

"How long do we have until the White Fang blow this place?" Mercury asked Cinder.

"They're just waiting for us to come out," Cinder replied. "But you know how Adam is… let's not waste any time."

Mercury pounded his fist into his palm. "Well, then…"

Lie set Raven on the ground and drew his dagger. "End it quickly. Our queen has been patient enough."

* * *

The door was massive. She could barely even reach the handle. But she did take hold of the metal and push it shut. She knew the sound would draw their attention.

Fortunately, she'd have time to land a single surprise attack. And though outnumbered and outmatched, there was no ally she preferred –no greater weapon- than surprise.

She'd snuck by the White Fang already, despite their enhanced senses and their nightvision. The boy had been able to tag along by sticking close to her, and Neo hoped he'd be enough of a gentleman to intercept an attack meant for her and give her the chance for a followup.

None of them heard her unsheathe her blade. They were too distracted by the sound of a heavy door closing behind them. No one would attack her flank or follow her in. And no one would be getting out when her blade waited in their path.

Her target slowly turned, reacting quickly. But she was prepared; she'd decided where to strike while slowly trailing her prey. She'd been waiting for this moment.

She'd been waiting since the day he died.

Cinder's amber eye found her own. Neo watched the thin sheen of Aura move to coat her body, to defend against Neo's trained attack. Neo would need to hit her twice to kill her.

But killing wasn't the aim. Not yet. And Aura didn't protect _all_ of her.

Neo slashed into the black mass below Cinder's left shoulder, where human flesh had been replaced by Grimm. Grimm had no Aura. And while the Aura may have proved Cinder had a soul in there somewhere, her willingness to mutilate her body with this monstrosity challenged that assertion.

And it gave Neo somewhere to aim.

Neo severed Cinder's left arm, unguarded from her steel. She remembered to put her strength in it, just like Roman taught her. Cinder cried out in pain, instinctively reaching her right arm to the stump where her abomination had once waited.

Oscar moved in, catching Ruby and the lingering Grimm limb before they hit the ground. Neo turned her attention to Mercury, knowing he'd be quick on the uptake… and before she had to clash against his metal foot, Yang fired a concussion burst from the other side of the hall, striking the silver haired brute in his back and sending him tumbling right past her and into the door.

Neo turned her attention to Emerald, who moved to help her mistress. Neo slashed her across the torso, knocking off a great deal of her Aura, and –more importantly- disrupting her concentration.

Lie was glancing around the room, searching for additional attackers, when something flashed before his eyes: something orange and pink… something more terrifying than any assassin or Huntsman who'd faced him thus far… a ghost standing before him.

 _I'm sorry._

 _Tell a lie._

"Nora…" he whispered, trembling with fear.

Nora readied her hammer, but couldn't quite manage to sound angry when she greeted him. "Ren."

The Fall Knight immediately recognized the danger they were in. He moved to try and get Emerald to help restore the illusion when Cinder drew both their attentions, levitating up from the ground, riding her Maiden Aura and pouring fire from her bloody stump, flame pushing out in the facsimile of an arm as her eye lit up. "Kill them!" she screeched. "Kill them all!"

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Blake wasn't sure if she'd keep it together when they finally saw Raven again. If she was necessary for Ozpin's plan to succeed, she'd have to help deliver the Huntress to the vault under the ruins of Haven… and worse, share a bullhead with her for the duration of the trip. Her ship was still waiting just outside the keep, or at least, so she hoped.

And these other three she'd be bringing along… she had no idea what brought them to such a terrible fate, to be enslaved as they were. And she wasn't sure she'd be able to trust them, given the amber-eyed brunette looked like she'd kill any of them at the drop of the hat.

It helped she had Ren's hand to hold. It made the trip easier to bear.

At least until they rounded a corner and saw Salem standing in the hall, a pair of her Seers holding Raven Branwen aloft. All of them –even Ozpin- stopped dead in their tracks.

"Lie… Blake… you disappoint me," Salem noted. "And _you,_ my love… I _wish_ I could say I was disappointed but… I'm barely even _surprised_."

Ozpin quickly regained his composure. "We both knew it'd eventually come to this, my queen."

"You convinced me you had changed," Salem growled. "But I _did_ make a point not to be caught unaware again… not to leave myself without a card to play."

The Seers tightened their grip on Raven.

"Get to the ship," Ozpin instructed. "I'll see to it Raven meets you there."

"And you?" Ren asked.

"I owe her an answer, if nothing else," Ozpin replied, drawing his cane. He tossed Ren the axe. "This should have just enough left. There is one more soul to heal."

"And so many more to damn," Salem assured them.

The keep began to rumble and shake. Ren and the others glanced around.

"To the ship! Now!" Ozpin commanded.

Even Cinder heeded his instruction. They left Ozpin and Salem behind to face each other.

"Did you mean any of it, my love?" Salem mused.

"Every word." Ozpin confirmed.

Salem paused for just a moment, thinking on all that led them here. "Does that make it better or worse?"

"I suppose it doesn't matter now," Ozpin replied.

"No," Salem conceded. "It doesn't."

Her remaining Grimm, all newly-forged in the black pits, descended on her keep and smashed through stone walls and glass panes, roaring and howling and screeching as they moved to pursue Ozpin's collection of allies.

Salem herself stepped slowly forward. "Come, my love. Let us embrace each other at last."


	19. Created and Consumed

**Chapter Nineteen: Created and Consumed**

* * *

 _Haven Academy, Exterior_

"That's it, brothers!" Adam praised, watching his loyalists place the still-struggling Schnee above the doors of the Huntsman academy. "Tonight, Haven falls, and the Schnee can add her snow to coat the ashes!"

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Weiss demanded, still squirming as her wrists were tied to the wooden wall of the school. "Why are you –why is the White Fang- so eager to destroy academies designed to teach people how to protect their kingdoms from threats?"

"You're one to talk of threats, Schnee," Adam growled at her, signaling to one of his loyalists to record him with a Scroll as he made his grand pronouncements. "The Schnees have used and abused Faunus for decades, and now the head of your family's company has whispered in General Ironwood's ear that he needs to attack Mistral, and Mistral does nothing but bow and scrape and flee from a fight! What good are the Huntsmen this academy has produced if none of them are actually willing to defend their kingdom?" He smiled to himself on that last thought, before quickly changing gears. "No, they've been too busy attacking _their own_! A Huntsman – a _human_ Huntsman trained here at Haven **murdered** our High Leader Sienna Khan, just as students from Beacon Academy murdered our comrades fighting for equality in Vale!"

"That's not what you were doing!" Weiss quickly protested. "You brought Grimm into the kingdom and unleashed them on innocent people! You tried to lure even more in from Mountain Glenn and then attacked the Vytal Festival!"

Adam glared at her; this wasn't quite going as he'd meant to script it, but he was able to contain his anger enough to muster a coherent reply. "All because humanity has repeatedly refused to honor the promise they made to the Faunus! All because they refuse to accept the shame of their own defeat at our hands; the inevitable rise of a superior race!"

"I thought you said you were fighting for _equality_ ," Weiss dryly interjected before Adam could delve too far into his rant.

Adam's temper flared up again as he glared at the girl. "We _were_ , until your denials made us into this. Now we have only one course: to make you _fear_ us as you always should have, because even in defeat your arrogance cannot be tolerated!"

"Let me know when you decide on exactly which point you're _most_ outraged about," Weiss coolly suggested.

Adam scoffed, but quickly shifted gears to address his comrade recording him by Scroll. "Enough from her. Tonight is about _us_ , brothers and sisters! Tonight we show Mistral what _strength_ really is, and they never again move to slaughter us in our own house. And then Atlas understands that none among them -not even their wealthiest or their highest and mightiest- will be safe if they dare encroach on our territory!"

Adam raised his hand to clench his fist. "Tonight we will punish humanity for its sins and burn down the monuments they've erected to their own vanity! Tonight we reduce Haven to cinders and show both Atlas and Mistral the _price_ of all their broken promises!"

* * *

"…kind of high and mighty himself, isn't he?" Roman inquired from their hiding spot nearby, watching the red-haired Faunus continue his egocentric ranting.

"Worse than ever before," Blake agreed. "How far he's fallen…"

"We can't let this go on, Blake," Jaune noted from Hazel's shoulder, continuing to repair the massive man's arms with his Semblance supercharging Hazel's Aura. "If Cinder and the knights are in there –if _Ruby's_ in there- we have to make our way in too."

Blake turned to Ilia. "How long will you need?"

"To disable the charges, five, maybe seven minutes," Ilia answered, already altering her skin to a darker shade to blend in. "But your Schnee friend's another matter… she's in clear view of Adam and his men. Even if I camouflage myself they'll see me trying to release her restraints." Blake nodded and Ilia continued on her way, vanishing entirely in the shadows of the academy structures.

"Unless we can find a way to distract him," Sun suggested.

"I can think of a good way to do that," Hazel grunted, but Blake quickly waved him off.

"No," Blake insisted. "If Adam gets hurt or incapacitated he'll probably try and set his bombs off early. We have to get him talking –and looking at us- so Ilia has time to disarm them."

"And what about Weiss?" Jaune asked.

Blake considered her options. "If we give Ilia enough time to remove the bombs, we should be able to catch him unaware. Once we're sure Adam can't hit the detonator, I'll give my dad the signal to surround Haven with everybody we brought along. Then, once we're sure he can't run… we capture him."

"Alive?" Hazel grunted, sounding disappointed.

Blake did her best to stay in control, and not let her thoughts get in the way. She was conflicted over whether to keep him alive or see him dead, but really, saving Haven was her first priority, saving Weiss her second… Adam's life a distant fourth or fifth depending on what was happening inside with Cinder and Ruby. "For now," Blake decided.

"So… who gets to distract him while Ilia does her thing?" Sun asked, pounding his right fist into his left palm.

Blake wasn't eager to volunteer any of them after what happened at Beacon… to Yang… to her. She didn't want the same fate to befall Sun or Jaune or Ilia… and she didn't want Hazel or Torchwick to-

Torchwick?

"Hey, my old business partners!" Torchwick jauntily greeted, taking a wide berth away from his former hiding spot and pointing the White Fang's attention to the man in the white coat and stylish bowler hat. "You guys moved up to kidnapping but didn't bother to ask for a ransom? Man, you guys really need a few remedial lessons if you wanna make it in this line of work…"

Adam just stared at Torchwick, perplexed at his inexplicable arrival. "Who are you again?"

"Roman Torchwick, your old business partner!" Roman greeted, briefly tipping his bowler. "I don't know if we've had the pleasure, personally… everybody was always working through one intermediary or another, you know how these things get crossed."

"The rat Cinder asked us to work with," Adam sneered. "I thought you died at Beacon."

"Funny, I heard the same about you!" Roman replied with a cheerful smile. "You know how unreliable information is these days, with the CCT down and all…"

Weiss was every bit as stunned as Adam at Torchwick's arrival, just staring at him, no longer even trying to wiggle her way out of her bonds. The White Fang soldier attending to her dropped down from above the front doors to join his comrades, moving to flank Adam as he addressed the interloper.

"You are no longer welcome in the White Fang," Adam growled at him. "No human is."

"Oh, not what I've heard," Roman mused. "I remember Cinder –you know, the _human_ \- was always the one calling the shots. Tell me: she still holding _your_ leash?"

Adam's hand instantly moved to the hilt of his sword. "Stay your tongue. **Now**."

"Not really my style," Roman admitted. "I like to talk; do it for a living. Just wanted to see if you were still taking your marching orders from the same lady or she's used you up just like everybody else in that little enterprise."

Adam had heard enough and drew his sword. Torchwick readied Melodic Cudgel as the High Leader raced at him, clashing his cane against Adam's red blade. "Guess we're done talking," Roman noted.

"What's he doing?" Sun demanded from their hiding spot.

"I don't know if it was his _intention_ , but he's given us an opening," Blake observed. "We'll move around and get Weiss down… and hopefully Torchwick can buy us five minutes."

"He may not need to," Hazel grunted, Jaune sliding off his arm as the brute of a man flexed it. "Because as soon as the thief is out of the fight, I'll give Adam Taurus a _new_ one."

* * *

 _Haven Academy, Entrance Hall_

The room filled up with noise. The light level would rapidly change as weapons clashed and powers flared. Flames roared past and bullets sailed and even whole bodies flung past, obscuring his vision as two sides clashed. Cinder engaged Ruby, Neo, and a freckled boy, battling all three with an arm composed of fiery Aura. The Huntsman Qrow Branwen and the blonde girl were engaging Cinder's disciples Emerald and Mercury. Jaune clashed against Pyrrha, putting her Semblance to use by flinging him around with his old family plate armor… how odd it was that the partners had reunited in this place.

He'd know.

Despite the conflagration, despite the severity of the situation, despite the task his mother had entrusted to him… Lie's attention was all for the ghost standing across the hall from him. The most terrifying thing in the room wasn't the enraged Maiden or the veteran Huntsman: it was the short girl with such bright blue eyes.

It was all coming back to him again. His heart pounded in his chest and his hands began to shake, his old, rusted dagger clattering along his fingers. The sounds of battle raging around him were nowhere near as distinct as hearing her cries of pain. The images of others clashing in his peripheral vision were nowhere near as vivid as the blood splattering up when he took Storm Flower and murdered her in her sleep.

No… that wasn't what he did… he wasn't a murderer…

 **Why, Ren? Why did you do it?!**

He hadn't had his conscience with him then. He could coolly lie –even to someone he liked as much as Pyrrha; liked enough to save- and assure that Nora had fought to the bitter end. He wanted her to be remembered fondly, as a talented Huntress who lost against a deadly adversary… not a girl murdered in her sleep by a boy she trusted with her life because his nightmares wouldn't leave him.

He kept her body like a trophy at Salem's keep, so he could remind himself she was dead. So he could sleep through the night and not be bothered by his conscience.

Seeing her standing before him again…

Jaune was trying to reach Emerald, to persuade her to use her powers and trick him. But it was too late for that now. He saw her clearly: the past and the present in the same moment.

"Ren," she said again. Her voice was soft, but he heard it clearly over the sounds of combat raging around him. He couldn't _help_ but hear her. He'd heard her speaking _almost_ as far back as he could remember.

In Kuroyuri.

"No," Ren whispered, searching for his mantra. "She died a warrior… she died a warrior…"

Nora had heard it before. She was so confused then… she hadn't known how to react to him. That was a strange feeling in and of itself for her; she always knew how to respond to Ren before…

Before Kuroyuri.

The nightmares troubled him even after they found safety at Beacon. They bothered him more than even the recollection of the Fall of Beacon. He just became better at dealing with the problem until he slew the demon haunting him at last… thanks to his friends, and thanks to her.

He was never reduced to a blubbering mess like this. Not since he was still a little boy. Nora put her hammer away and drew closer, even as he continued to hold aloft his father's old dagger.

"Ren," she said again, reaching out with open arms. It didn't matter then what terrible deeds he may have done, because he was still Ren. Whatever Salem had warped him into, the good man had to be in there… and Nora had gone far too long without seeing him.

Lie started backing up, trying to retreat from a girl who –by all appearances- seemed to be reaching out to _embrace_ him rather than attack him. That would be much more terrifying: to feel Nora hug him and know she was tangible, not some horrible specter of his guilt returning after his conscience had been silent for so long.

He hit the heavy wooden door of the entrance. There was nowhere else to run.

"She died a warrior," Lie repeated, trying desperately to believe his own deception. "She died a warrior…"

The anomaly was still unconscious on the ground nearby. He was so close to completing his mission, he just had to bring Raven down to the vault and return home… to his mother's smiling face and her praise at finally bringing the last remaining piece of the king's magic. Then their family would be whole, and all that would remain to be done was to use the gods' powers and rebuild the world devastated by conflict…

His destiny was right in front of him. But so too was his past, reaching out to drag him back and compel him to fail.

Nora was so close he could hear her breathing. Her gloved hand was reaching towards his face, towards the scar the anomaly had given him.

No, he couldn't let her do it… he couldn't… he couldn't admit it was real…

He couldn't listen to his conscience again… not after all he'd done…

Nora's fingers very nearly brushed across his nose…

Jaune finally managed to escape Pyrrha long enough to intercede, bullrushing Nora and pushing her out of Lie's field of vision. Jaune took hold of his shoulders and shouted at him: "Ren, get the anomaly to the vault! Bring her back to our side _**now!**_ "

Lie was still trying to process it all. Nora was alive… no, Nora from a different reality was still alive. _His_ Nora was dead. She died a warrior. He held up her corpse and displayed it as a trophy to remind any who visited Salem's keep of his power and his dedication to his queen.

Lie grimly nodded and moved towards the unconscious Branwen. He had to complete his mission, he had to bring his mother what he promised…

He could hear Nora shouting his name.

That wasn't so unusual. He could still hear her… even now… in their battle from a fateful night at Beacon…

He couldn't be distracted by this. Not when he was so close.

Lie hoisted the anomaly onto his shoulder again. He heard the sounds of battle around him and stepped towards the statue between twin staircases: the secret entrance to the underground sanctum.

So close…

* * *

Cinder struck in furious rage, trying to burn her foes or cut them: she wasn't particularly choosy about how their deaths would be dealt. Neo was keeping her at bay with the thin blade in her umbrella, but that defense could only last for so long against her Cinder's sustained anger.

Normally Cinder would've taunted the short girl about picking this fight, but the only words she could manage to utter were enraged grunts and harsh yells. Neo had irked her far more than she expected; more than that Neo had _wounded_ her, and that wasn't something Cinder could ignore. Now she joined Ruby Rose as a target for the rage that had spent much too long simmering under the surface.

She'd kill _all_ of these people in her way: Lionheart for his betrayal, Pyrrha Nikos for embarrassing her, Qrow Branwen to appease Salem and make Tyrian look weak, the students from Beacon who should've had the good sense to accept the inevitable… but _particular_ enmity she reserved for Ruby Rose and Neo, the ones who made her feel the barbs of failure.

Ruby Rose tainted Cinder's victory at Beacon by maiming her with silver eyes. Neo freed Ruby Rose when victory had been in Cinder's grasp and now reminded her of the pain where her left arm had once been… where her beauty had been marred by those well beneath her yet still leaving scars behind…

The freckled boy was an annoyance she didn't trouble herself over. He was just a target of opportunity as she continued to billow with rage.

Ruby Rose wasn't contributing much to the fight, just spinning her scythe wildly about and trying to deflect as many of Cinder's incoming strikes as possible. Neo was mostly stuck on the defensive, as every time she searched for an opening Cinder would raise flames from her left side and deter Neo from attacking an unguarded flank.

Still, Cinder had to be exhausting herself… and she was devoting so much attention to them that Qrow and Yang would be able to get the better of Emerald and Mercury and trim down the number of adversaries they faced. It seemed Cinder was every bit as concerned for the wellbeing of her followers as Neo recalled.

And Oscar was acquitting himself well considering Neo never saw him fight before… maybe whatever lingering presence of the old Beacon headmaster taught him a trick or two.

Out of the corner of her eye Neo saw the alternate version of Lie Ren dash past with Raven still on his shoulder. He pressed his free hand to a statue near the end of the hall, encasing the structure with ice pouring from his palm.

"The relic!" an old Faunus trying to help Qrow and Yang called from nearby. "He's going after the relic!"

Not Neo's concern. If he wanted to leave the fight, Cinder would be that much easier to kill… and all Neo needed was time…

Pyrrha Nikos moved to pursue the boy in green, clashing her sword against his small dagger. Well, not quite ideal, but at least it wasn't anyone moving to help Cinder-

-until Nora was flung in her path, crashing into Ruby. Oscar and Neo exchanged looks as the Fall Knight stepped over beside Cinder.

"So, you lived through that little love tap I gave you?" the Fall Knight mused. "You'll have to tell me how you accomplished that… and I know you can't talk, but I know exactly how to make you _sing_."

She couldn't let herself be afraid now. No matter how bad the pain in her midsection became the longer she looked at his smug grin behind the omnipresent flame.

Cinder was the one she had to focus on. Revenge first, then she'd worry about survival.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Coco stood with her back to the bullhead, firing from her minigun as more Beowolves cobbled towards them. Fortunately, their enemies were all newly-forged and died quickly… but they were still amassing and surrounding the landing site beside Salem's keep. "Hurry up!" she firmly instructed. "I don't have a second belt with me!"

Emerald and Cinder were working on the controls while Blake and Ren fought off any Grimm who drew too close to the ship, allowing Coco to slowly fall back before she ran out of ammunition. Eventually, she sat on the hard metal of the passenger bay, hanging out the side and still burning through her minigun's belt as more monsters swarmed around, over, and through Salem's keep. Penny made certain Ruby was all right, still unconscious on the metal hull, before rejoining the fray and blasting away many of the Grimm with concentrated bursts of Aura.

The keep itself was repeatedly rocked by the sounds of clashing. Windows shattered at every moment, lights flashed in brief glimpses, and stone exploded off the roof as the two great powers clashed.

"What's going on in there?" Blake asked in between shots from Gambol Shroud.

"Ozpin said he needed to free Raven," Ren replied. "I suspect Salem disagreed."

"What happens if he can't?" Coco asked. "What happens if he loses that fight?"

"Then this'll be a very short trip," Blake darkly mused.

* * *

Ancient magics weren't meant to clash on the surface of the remnant left behind. The gods' power wasn't meant to be freely exchanged. Unleashing its fury destroyed what had come before and left behind a barren, inhospitable world that the gods would eventually abandon, leaving it to unworthy inheritors of their own creation.

One such inheritor did her best to stay out of the fighting, even as two Grimm held her firmly in place with their tendrils. Ozpin and Salem's clash sent wave after wave of _power_ towards her, damaging her Aura just from the aftershock of each impact.

The interior of the castle warped around them as they struck. Raven kept searching for an opportunity to escape from the Grimm holding her, as she was certain they were feeling the effects of battle too. But they held fast, doing as their master instructed, despite the danger to themselves.

A pause in the battle. Something exchanged, but not powers crossing one another…

"Why not use the relics, Ozpin?" Salem asked. "You could've brought the castle down by now."

"Now that sword is just a rusted hunk of metal," Ozpin replied. "The axe has only a few roots. The lamp has two wishes left at best."

"And the torch?" Salem asked.

Ozpin's only response was a smile.

Salem's rage built. Exactly as he expected it would.

The castle shook again. Ozpin gladly suffered a wound to lower his guard, directing his power back to Raven to destroy the Seers binding her.

Raven saw her window. It was conveniently smashed open.

She shifted to bird form and made for the exit. She saw the children gathered in the bullhead and dove into it, joining them in fending off the Grimm trying to deny their retreat.

Ozpin heard the engines roar. He knew the ship was taking off.

Salem glared at him. "Why risk your life for her, Ozpin? What have you done?"

Ozpin only continued to smile as he simply replied: "I've won."

* * *

In the ship, Coco and Blake continued to provide suppressing fire from either side of the passenger bay at the small group of pursuing Nevermores and Griffons. They were young Grimm and died in a few hits… which proved fortunate, as Coco's belt was finally exhausted and her barrel continued to spin and cool without discharging any new shots.

Blake turned towards the newest person to join in their escape, standing taller than all the others, with a long mane of black hair and bloody red eyes… Blake hadn't seen her face on the day they met, but had known her at once when Salem presented her… and promised Blake revenge for the man she'd killed.

Her hand started shaking as her eyes burned a hole in the woman. She eventually took notice, though she seemed confused by the raw enmity Blake flung at her.

Then a hand reached out to hers', to try and calm the trembling running through her. Blake shifted focus to the man reaching out to hold her, and managed to calm herself… to remember all he'd done for her in such a short time.

"It's not her, Blake," Ren reminded her. "It's not her."

She met his pink eyes. She thought of unmasking before him and holding his hand just as he held hers now.

 _I just know you can be better than this, Blake._

She looked at Raven Branwen, still confused at the animosity Blake had shown her. Another visitor from a different world… a woman not to blame for the crimes of someone else…

Just like Ren, a better man than the monster she knew as the Spring Knight. A man she now-

Blake nodded and calmed down, her shakes finally subsiding. Ren squeezed her hand again before ambling over to the cockpit, to Cinder and Emerald at the controls. Cinder glanced up at him. "We managed to escape her for the moment, but she _will_ chase us once she and Ozpin have finished. Where are we going?"

"Haven," Ren replied. "At least, that's where Raven and I need to go."

He glanced at Blake, Coco, Penny, and Ruby. "Is there… somewhere we should take the rest of you?"

"Tell me now," Cinder instructed. "Because after I drop off the Mistralian boy I'm taking this ship as far from Salem as I can go."

"I need to return to Atlas and aid in their defense," Penny replied. "But before I do I need to return Ruby to her home…"

Ren glanced down at his friend and comrade, kneeling beside her to feel her wrist, finding a weak pulse… she was still alive here, it seemed. Something the other Raven Branwen would be thrilled to learn…

Ren then turned his attention back to Blake. "What will you do now?"

"I want to see this other side, if I can," Blake replied.

"But…" Ren wasn't sure how best to phrase it. "The Blake Belladonna from my world…"

"No, I know I can't go with you," Blake acknowledged, slowly averting her gaze. "I just…"

She wanted to see it through. To see Ren before he disappeared for good.

Ren stood up and moved closer to her. He took her hand again and leaned in close, pressing his forehead against hers'.

How he wished he could do more. How he wished he could answer the feelings looking for him to reply.

In another life…

The bullhead closed its passenger bay doors and continued through choppy wind north to Mistral.

* * *

 _Haven Academy, Exterior_

Blake heard her Scroll beep at her. She quickly pulled it out to read a message from Ilia: _bombs are defused_.

Torchwick was acquitting himself well against Adam, though he was still considerably outmatched. She hadn't expected him to hold out so long…

He did his job. Blake would make a point to let him live through this, if at all possible. She turned her attention to Weiss, gesturing to Sun and Jaune. They nodded and started moving to assist her, while Blake sent a message to her dad, telling him to move in.

And Hazel…

Blake just had to point at Adam. He didn't need any more instruction than that.

Hazel emerged from their hiding spot and marched slowly forward. Adam shifted his gaze to the approaching brute of a man, turning his eye from Torchwick. "Hazel? What are you doing here?!"

"That should be obvious," Hazel grunted, before interceding with his bare fist, striking Adam with such force he rolled several times along the ground from the impact.

Adam's loyalists turned their weapons on Hazel, firing from range. He merely grunted again and marched towards them, easily absorbing every bullet impact without apparent harm. Roman fired at Adam while he was on the ground, skidding further away through the dirt.

Behind the firing line of White Fang soldiers, Sun used his Semblance to hoist Jaune up above the entrance to Haven. Jaune drew Crocea Mors, slicing Weiss free from her bonds.

"Of all the people who could rescue me, it had to be Jaune Arc," Weiss dryly observed, rolling her eyes.

"Well, messed it up earlier today and back at initiation," Jaune reminded her. "Had to get it right eventually."

Weiss nodded. "Third time's the charm."

She turned her focus to the White Fang soldier still holding onto Myrtenaster. Hazel was still slowly approaching, but Weiss saw a way to make his job easier. She drew upon her Glyphs, summoning an old friend to assist…

…and behind the loyalists, a towering Armor Gigas took shape, pulling itself from the Glyph Weiss drew into the ground. The soldiers tried to turn their fire on it, but their bullets and Dust had even less effect than they'd had on Hazel, and a swing of its massive sword sent them all flying, Weiss's rapier clattering to the ground.

Sun moved in, taking hold of Myrtenaster and flinging it up to the former heiress. Weiss caught it and waved with her free hand in gratitude, before taking note of the others on the battlefield. "…why is Sun here? And who's the tall man? And… _is that Roman Torchwick?!_ "

"Long story!" Jaune quickly replied. "And for the moment at least he's on our side! I'll tell you more when I can: where's Ruby?"

"Cinder brought her inside," Weiss replied, quickly shifting focus. "Come on!"

"Torchwick!" Jaune called as he and Weiss started down to the front entrance. "Cinder's here if you want to have a word with her! And if Cinder's here, that Fall Knight guy you're so mad at probably is too!"

"Oh, _yes_ ," Roman grinned, breaking ranks and joining them at the doors. He and Jaune moved to either side and pushed the heavy wooden structure…

* * *

Neo felt her Aura starting to flicker as the Fall Knight hounded her again and again. She glanced over at Oscar, who wasn't faring much better against Cinder, his cane constantly pushed away by the taller woman's sword. Ruby and Nora were taking their time dragging themselves up… Emerald and Mercury weren't faring well against Qrow and Yang, though Yang had definitely taken a few bad hits: her Aura was dangerously flickering too. Pyrrha was keeping the Spring Knight from the vault, but the ice he'd placed on the statue barring his way did its job, revealing a big hole in the floor, a few visible elevator mechanisms poking out from the imperfect destruction of the lift leading underground.

The fight might well be won if they managed to hold out, but she and Oscar were badly outmatched and losing ground…

She knew the fight with Cinder would be torturously difficult. She had intended to land a fatal blow immediately after removing her Aura so as to _avoid_ a prolonged conflict. When that hadn't seemed to be a viable option Neo tried to free Ruby and give the fight more moving parts to draw Cinder's attention… she just hoped the girl who _defeated_ Cinder would've been more of a contributing factor.

She couldn't fail now. Not when she could finally avenge Roman…

Cinder saw her doubt too, and relished in it. And the Fall Knight enjoyed seeing her squirm. He struck again… her Aura broke at last and she fell to one knee.

" _Finally_ ," the Fall Knight grinned. "Maybe this time it'll stick…"

She heard the doors open behind her. Neo turned her attention to Cinder, aiming her best look of defiance as death descended upon her.

A shot rang out. A concussion burst struck the Fall Knight's chest, pushing him back as the shot exploded like a firework. A second followed it and hit Cinder, sending her tumbling backwards with another burst of red and orange.

"Stay away from my girl."

She never expected to hear that voice again. Neo slowly turned towards the open door and saw him, Melodic Cudgel in hand, smoke slowly rising from the barrel at the base of the cane.

He still had his hat. How-?

It didn't matter. He was there, alive… saving her just as he had before.

Neo slowly climbed back to her feet. Behind her, the Fall Knight cursed his name. She never thought she'd be glad to hear his voice, because it reaffirmed what Neo saw standing before her was real.

He strode towards her, even as the battle continued to rage around them. He dropped all pretense of fierceness and smiled… a smile he only ever showed her.

"Hey, kid."

* * *

 _Haven Academy, Exterior_

Adam glanced around at his small band of loyalists. Three of them had been knocked out by the summoned enemy, and the others were looking particularly wary of continuing to engage it. "Fight, you cowards!" Adam commanded. "Get out there and put a stop to this!"

Adam then took notice of Hazel continuing his steady march, and then to Sun Wukong moving in behind the Schnee's summoned armor, and started searching the battlefield for a place to retreat to. If he could get to a minimum safe distance and detonate the explosives, he could solve all these problems at once. He'd lose the footage taken of the Schnee's death, but if there was any recognizable trophy left among the wreckage, he could still claim the victory.

There were clear exit routes behind him. He just had to find an opening…

In the distance he saw shapes moving in the dark. Students? Onlookers drawn by the commotion? More of his brothers come to reinforce them?

They were carrying torches and weapons… an angry mob set to descend upon him?

No, they were Faunus- he could make out some of their features now that they drew nearer. His brothers, at last… they'd come to witness his moment of triumph…

Wait…

"Adam Taurus!" called a tall man leading the others. "We've come to put a stop to your mad ambitions!"

Ghira Belladonna… here? Why had the chieftain come all the way to Mistral…?

No matter, he could flee in another-

More Faunus, encircling the academy. Blocking his escape routes.

The sound of engines in the distance. Searchlights pointed down. An announcement from above: "ADAM TAURUS, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST."

Adam glanced around at all those encircling him. He couldn't see a gap to escape through… only Hazel, Wukong, and the summoned warrior. His men were impossibly outnumbered and demoralized.

But all his enemies were gathering together. If he set off the charges now…

If he set them off he'd die too…

No, he had to live. The White Fang needed him… no one else could bring about the destiny he'd been so very close to leading them to…

"Adam."

He knew the voice. Adam whirled around as Blake joined the crowd encircling him. "It's over."

Her father. Her friend from Beacon. The man she defeated and had Atlas incarcerate. All here opposing him at the same time…

Blake did this to him…?

Adam roared in fury and reached for the detonator. Blake watched calmly as he tried to set off his bombs, knowing Ilia had already disarmed them, rendering him toothless… and in front of a large audience.

Adam kept pushing the button, impotently trying to set off the explosives with a furious mashing of his thumb. He looked quite the fool, constantly attempting what was plainly no longer possible.

"May I?" Sun asked.

"If you want," Blake agreed.

Sun struck Adam with his staff while the High Leader kept trying to set off his bombs. Adam tumbled along the dirt again, the detonator flung from his hand. Blake leveled Gambol Shroud at him as her father hoisted Adam up by his collar.

"No," Adam growled. "No!"

He tried to reach for his sword. Ghira tightened his grip and slammed Adam into the dirt. Hazel nodded approvingly as he watched the lanky boy's mask crack in the ground.

Blake took no pleasure in watching Adam so humiliated. She had no doubt it'd only deepen his rage and his spiteful madness.

But seeing humans and Faunus work together to defeat a dangerous terrorist? _That_ she could enjoy.

Blake turned her attention to Haven. "Ruby," she said simply. Sun nodded, moving to join her as she headed within.

Lying on the ground, Adam feebly reached after Blake, leaving him in the dirt and moving on without further acknowledgment, all his plans, all his glory slipping away…

* * *

 _Haven Academy, Entrance Hall_

Cinder was incandescent with rage upon seeing Roman again. She had been looking forward to sending Neo to see him again. Couldn't _anyone_ stay dead?!

She would be happy to remedy that. Flames continued to rise from her left side as she thought on setting the entire academy ablaze… but she wasn't so distracted as to fail to overhear her 'allies' exchanging tactical information.

"You idiot!" the Fall Knight raged at Lie as the Spring Knight clashed with Pyrrha again. "Get below and open the vault before these idiot kids screw things up again!"

Lie did not hesitate any further. The path clear and no conscience to impede him, he blasted Pyrrha Nikos away with a gust of wind from his hand and descended with Raven Branwen in tow. They'd be even further outmatched with him gone, but…

…if he opened the way to t _he relic_ …

Cinder glared at Roman and Neo, still exchanging smiles. She hated to leave them so peaceful and content, but so long as they were distracted by their reunion…

Cinder poured fire from her right hand to propel herself backwards, sailing right past Pyrrha Nikos and the Fall Knight and moving to pursue the Spring Knight. Surely if he could open the door himself…

The Fall Knight move to continue the fight with Pyrrha Nikos, keeping her occupied. Cinder didn't know how well Mercury and Emerald would fare without her while so outnumbered, but so long as they lived a few moments…

Cinder dove into the hole after the Spring Knight and Raven Branwen. Oscar pointed to her retreating trail of flame. "Qrow, we have to stop her before she reaches the relic!"

Qrow nodded and moved to intercept, before the Fall Knight blasted him with a fiery stream of Aura, trying to hold both him and Pyrrha at bay.

 _Oscar, we have to stop her._

"How?" Oscar demanded of the voice in his head.

 _By what we know she is vulnerable to._

Ozpin asserted himself again, taking control of Oscar's body. "Miss Rose, you must pursue her before she reaches the relic! You're the only one who can stop her!"

Ruby was still in the process of pulling herself up after the unexpected Nora crash. "R-right!" she agreed.

"And _I'm_ the one who can stop Ren," Nora added from her side. "So you'd better bring me along."

Ruby nodded, taking hold of Nora. She concentrated and activated her Semblance, dashing down the hole after the two.

 _What are you doing, Ozpin?_ Oscar demanded, now the second voice in the mind rather than in control of the motor functions. _Cinder will kill her!_

"Not if we can help her," Ozpin replied with Oscar's mouth, before turning his attention to Yang. "Miss Xiao Long, see if you can provide backup!" Ozpin broke into a run towards the hole. "She'll need whatever assistance we can render!"

"Right," Yang agreed, breaking off from her fight with Mercury and moving to join him.

"Running away again, blondie?" Mercury mocked. "Thought you wanted to settle the score…"

"Guess some things are more important to me," Yang replied, still dashing after her sister. "Maybe some day you'll figure that out…"

Mercury didn't approve of her comment and moved to propel himself after her with a burst from his mechanical legs, only for something heavy to slam into him from behind, driving him into the floor again. Mercury quickly whirled around to see Jaune Arc wielding his combined sword Crocea Mors, staring him down.

Emerald moved to pursue, only for a series of Glyphs to follow her. Weiss Schnee moved into her path, clashing her rapier against Emerald's kama, just as she had at the bandit camp. Weiss glared at her and pushed her back, away from her friends, as Yang and Oscar dove in after Ruby and Nora.

Neo turned her attention to the hole Cinder moved into. Roman was quick to read her. "Yeah, kid. Let's see this through."

Neo smiled and readied her blade. Roman offered her his hand, so she might have some reassurance he wouldn't be leaving her, for even a moment.

Neo took it eagerly and led him down underground to complete her mission at last.

* * *

 _The Vault of the Spring Maiden_

Lie frantically pressed his hand to the golden panels of the vault, watching them respond to the Aura within him and unfurl. He saw the wafting air beyond and the sands of the desert left by another Spring Maiden's neglect… knowing he was mere seconds away from giving his mother the prize she'd sent him to win…

…only to see no portal in the desert, no path back to his home. Only the sand swept altar with the lamp and the barren dunes, no sign of the gate created by Raven Branwen and the short girl Jaune enslaved…

He heard something descend behind him. Lie whirled around and saw Cinder Fall blaze down through the elevator shaft and fly towards the open door. He tried to move in and tell her what was going on, to deter her from taking the Relic of Knowledge before all was done, but she struck him with her sword and knocked him from her path, sending Lie and the unconscious Raven precariously close to the rocky cliff the vault precariously sat upon.

Cinder just looked at it, entranced by the cool blue waters inside its golden lamp. Immense power lay ahead… power enough to defeat all those annoyances above her, power to compensate her in lieu of a Spring Maiden to steal more magic… this gift from the gods would work just as well.

Salem would not be happy Cinder stole this power, but the queen would prefer it to losing the relic to Ozpin's lingering band of children. Cinder slowly stepped towards the door, to what seemed an entrance to somewhere else in Remnant, or perhaps another world entirely…

A draft caught her attention… wind at her back, not from this hidden desert before her. Cinder whirled around and saw Ruby Rose and Nora Valkyrie emerge to join the fight. She sneered and drew a blade of Dust, lighting it aflame and swinging at either girl. Nora's hammer easily outpaced her in strength, so Cinder unleashed flames from her hand to drive the short blue-eyed girl away, so she could focus all her fury on Ruby Rose.

Salem wanted the girl alive, but Cinder was certain she'd prefer the relic… and Ruby Rose was trying to keep it from Salem's hands. Accidents would happen…

Cinder slashed with her fiery sword and drove the girl's scythe from her hands. Ruby tried to call upon whatever ancient powers her eyes held, but Cinder cut across her midsection before she could, Ruby Rose's Aura vanishing from the strike.

Cinder moved to deal the lethal finish, only for a concussion burst to strike her cheek and snap her head back before she could swing. Ruby's sister Yang Xiao Long moved into the fray, firing and punching. The freckled boy moved after her, striking repeatedly with his cane in tandem with Xiao Long's fists.

Cinder's rage erupted again in a fiery torrent, blasting them both away. Yang's Aura had already been devastated after two brutal fights with Mercury, and she took the worst of it, landing beside her sister before the entrance to the vault.

Cinder would be happy to kill her too, after she found her true target… after she cut Ruby Rose in half and burnt either side to ash.

Yang, despite her wounds, moved in the path of Cinder's blade. She had failed to respond to her sister in Patch and then faltered when Adam arrived on the battlefield: she wouldn't allow herself to stand idle and let anyone harm Ruby again.

Ozpin dragged himself up from the stone, watching Cinder raise her fiery blade.

 _Ozpin, we have to stop her!_ Oscar raged at him from within his mind.

Ozpin, however, had a different thought. A memory…

He invested considerable magic to lead to this moment. He'd manipulated the thoughts of Raven Branwen solely to produce this child for this moment; the moment that would change the fate of the world.

He'd done as he'd needed: created a guardian for the silver-eyed warrior. Created a life to safeguard the hope humanity would turn to and the flash of silver in the dark that would ensure Salem's downfall.

Created… and, inevitably, consumed…

Yang faced the moment without fear. She stood before Ruby Rose, knowing that if she took the hit, her sister would live.

Cinder swung… and Yang shattered to pieces, her fiery blade striking… a facsimile, an illusion of such complexity…

A shot rang out and struck Cinder's unguarded back. Cinder's Aura was disrupted for a moment…

…and the killing blow struck next, Neo driving her blade right where Roman's burst had struck. Cinder tried to turn, spotting Neo's satisfied smile as she felt blood rush to the back of her mouth, spilling out her lip and dribbling down her chin.

Cinder heard Yang Xiao Long gasp in surprise. Out of the corner of her eye Cinder saw the blonde girl a few inches further back from the arc of her swing…

And the relic, still glowing a faint blue in the barren desert…

This couldn't happen now.

She couldn't simply _die_ , she was special; meant for much greater things! She wasn't only meant to bear the same fate as the Maidens who preceded her, to be created and consumed one after another… she was meant to gain all their powers and ascend to a greater place than they'd ever known.

This wasn't…

…her…

..destiny…

Cinder slumped into the stone, reaching feebly towards the entrance to the vault.

Neo kept the blade in her back until she was gone.

Once her work was done, Neo looked down at the woman in red, a darker shade of it pooling around her.

Moments earlier, she'd thought she'd miss her chance to see it.

Now…

Neo looked past to the still stunned Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose. Of all the people she could've saved…

Neo cast them a coy smile and watched the blood stain the rocks beneath her, thinking on all that led Cinder to this well-deserved end.


	20. The Witch and the Wizard

**Chapter Twenty: The Witch and the Wizard**

* * *

 _The Previous Epoch_

He heard whispers of the place from gossiping women in their villages and drunken travelers in taverns. They all said they avoided it; that death resided in it. But he had no fear of it. The world was full of horrors, and he didn't think a crag –even an inhospitable one- was any more frightening than a deep cave or a barren desert. The place was dark, with tall, twisted trees and swampy ground... but also a single illuminating light from an oil lamp over a dwelling made of straw and mud. People may have been frightened of this place, even unwelcome in it, but clearly _someone_ could live here, dark as it was.

He walked along the wet and sopping ground to a peaty, moss-stained door to knock. Tapping it with his knuckle caused the door to creak open, and he could peer inside to find her… peering over a cauldron, her long hair tied up with many metal braces to keep it from falling into the bubbling mass within. Her eyes were bloodshot and her skin fair to the point of pale… she wasn't an old woman but her hair had already turned stark white.

"What do you want?" she asked in a low growl.

He took his eyes from the big cauldron to take in the other trappings of her hut: the dead animals hanging from hooks on the ceiling and –far more interesting to see- the living creatures contained in small cages in the shadows behind her, including the small winged ones… birds composed of darkness. "You keep the shadow beasts here?"

The woman narrowed her bloodshot eyes. "They're called Grimm."

He'd heard it before, but never adopted the terminology. It made no difference to him, as he moved to curiously poke at the tiny cells the beasts were trapped within. "Fine, Grimm… these things are dangerous you know, even when they're little like this."

"Yes, I am aware," the woman nodded, becoming increasingly impatient with his antics. "Is there something you wanted…?"

"I wanted to see you," he replied with a whimsical smile. "I was curious about the witch out in the wilderness… the one they said was toying with powers no one was meant to."

"They're not wrong," she acknowledged. "But their perceptions are only correct _now_. They will be proven wrong in time. All new knowledge acquired seems like some sorcery or witchcraft to those who cannot take the time to comprehend it."

"That why they cast you out from the villages and sent you here?" he wondered.

She didn't enjoy being reminded and quickly changed the subject. "Well now you've seen me… what now? Have you come seeking an elixir? Some secret potion you can only acquire after you mock my work?"

"No, nothing like that," he answered, stepping away from her cages and to her before her cauldron. He looked into her eyes, no matter how red and puffy they were… he did not recoil from the appearance of a witch whose studies had already cost her. "I know this world has secrets to uncover, and I do not begrudge you trying to find them…"

He looked back at the smaller shadow beasts in their cages. "This world has monsters: beasts born of shadow. It has people with the ears of cats and hounds who can hear everything their neighbors say from one end of a village to another. It has some who can create a barrier around their bodies and heal what should've been a fatal injury. But for me… well, I think what I can do is something no one else can do, as strange as that sounds."

He offered her his hand. At will he summoned them: one element after another… water pouring down his palm, flames shooting from his fingertips, wind whistling past his knuckles. The witch looked on, no longer annoyed… now entirely driven by curiosity.

"So I wanted to find someone who was seeking answers, even when she was shunned for trying," he explained. "They call you a witch because you're trying to learn more about the world. I… I only want to better understand myself." He looked down at her pale fingers tracing along the surface of his palm, warmth he'd never felt. "And if they call you a witch… they might call me a wizard."

* * *

 _Haven, Tonight_

Emerald tried to use her Semblance to keep Weiss distracted, but the Schnee girl kept moving swiftly along the ground with her Glyphs, always slicing through whatever illusion Emerald put in her path and striking at the proper target. Dust cylinders rotated in the chamber of her rapier and produced ample projectiles to scout for Emerald's location, forcing the thief to remain on the defensive and keep falling back as Weiss pursued her through the entrance hall.

It was logical Weiss would be invested in pursuing Emerald for vengeance after the lengths she'd gone to in capturing the Schnee heiress and bringing her to Haven in the first place, but her relentless pursuit would inevitably be her downfall. All Emerald had to do was buy time for Cinder to acquire the relic… once she did _none_ of these kids or the older huntsmen working with them –and maybe not even those two knight 'allies'- would be able to stop her. All Emerald had to do was hold out.

Mercury was faring better there, constantly keeping pressure on Jaune Arc –the one not constantly smothered in flaming Aura- with one kick after another. Jaune was playing a defensive game like Emerald –trying to buy time for his friends- but against Mercury's relentless offense he was quickly losing ground.

Until Mercury's metal leg stopped in mid-motion, frozen in place by a magnetic field. Mercury's eyes widened as he realized what happened, comprehension dawning on him as he looked across the hall to another combatant with a hand extended, another Semblance taking hold of him. "Not agai-" Mercury couldn't complete his thought before being flung across the room, leaving Jaune to take in the sight of his savior.

She'd followed his Aura in pursuing Cinder and the knights when they captured Weiss. She'd lost track of it for a few moments and briefly wondered if he'd been killed… if the glimpse of hope he'd given her, the little reminders of the boy she used to love had been snuffed out by the harsh reality of the man he'd become in her Remnant.

She walked slowly over to him, even as the battle continued to rage. He smiled that boyish smile of his; that strange mix of confident bluster and sincere gratitude… she could stare into it for hours.

Only to see it quickly change as Jaune rushed to her side, clashing his larger, combined Crocea Mors against another such blade, the Fall Knight narrowly missing Pyrrha when he moved to intervene.

"You were the one who healed Neo," the Fall Knight growled. "You finally awakened your Semblance and the best you could do with it was help a psychopath with hangups?"

"Seems like it bothered you a bit," Jaune observed. "So I'd say I made the right call."

The Fall Knight tried to force him back, visibly struggling to move the larger blade Jaune had created… and visibly _irritated_ he was having difficulty at all. "And I made a few bad ones… including letting you live twice over."

The Fall Knight kicked Jaune in his stomach, knocking all the wind from him and dropping the blonde boy to the floor. "What I should've done all along was be rid of you… showed everyone that nothing could stand up to my power…"

Pyrrha moved quickly to intercede, clashing both of her green blades with the Fall Knight's single sword. She tried to utilize her Semblance to drive him away, but found it difficult to focus on the ferrous metals of his sword, shield, and armor… she'd already exerted herself in this fight against him, Cinder, and the others.

From the ground, Jaune stood up behind her. He reached his hands towards Pyrrha's shoulders. She felt a familiar instinct to push him away again, as she had before… then recalled the man she rightly feared was the one in front of her, not the one at her back. The one reaching for her now…

…his hands glowed with white Aura, consuming his fingers beneath the color. His Aura pushed into Pyrrha, just as Pyrrha had once given him a portion of _her_ Aura to awaken his powers; binding them together.

And the Aura steadily whittled down by her use of her Semblance and her extended battle with the Fall Knight began to replenish, as Jaune's own enormous supply added to her reserve. Pyrrha reached out with her Semblance to push away the Fall Knight again, the other Jaune skidding along the floor from the force of Pyrrha's waving hand.

"You're the one who never learned what your power's good for," Jaune scolded the Fall Knight. "My teammates – _my partner_ \- have always been better fighters than I have. And now I can help them keep fighting in a way I really couldn't before. I'd _hate_ to be like you… fighting all my battles alone."

The Fall Knight glanced around the room. Mercury was being trounced by Qrow Branwen and that turncoat Lionheart. Emerald was faring better against the Schnee girl, but still actively on the retreat. He had no one to call upon to aid him.

And no one he'd be particularly bothered about _losing_ either.

The Fall Knight's fiery Aura intensified around his body, shooting upwards to the ceiling far above his head. "Then I guess I should stop holding back and show you what you missed out on…"

* * *

 _The Vault of the Spring Maiden_

Lie dragged himself up to see the short girl Neo pulling her blade from Cinder's back. He wasn't particularly bothered to see his nominal ally dead, but he _was_ concerned that the portal was no longer in place in the vault, and he still had _six_ adversaries facing him… and a seventh poised perilously by the cliff. He moved to try and collect the anomaly, to keep her secure before the inevitable fighting started.

But to his surprise, one among them waved off the others, stepping forward in their stead. Ruby Rose and the blonde girl with her were willing to leave it alone. The freckled boy hadn't moved much since he'd been knocked aside by Cinder, but he was conscious and alert, watching even as he lay on the stone floor beside the lift entrance. Neo and her red-haired ally were the slowest to stand down, but they did shortly after Neo waved the taller man off.

Leaving just Lie… and her.

She wasn't carrying her hammer. She was saying something to him, trying to reason with him, trying to tell him to stop.

She was one to talk… she didn't understand, how could she _possibly_ understand? Had she ever killed the person she cared about most because she was so desperate to sleep through the night?

 _I'm scared._

 _Me too._

No, not now. He didn't want to remember… he didn't want to see it…

Her eyes were still big and blue. Her face was still so red.

 _It's okay._

She'd been trembling under an intact structure with a Nevermore perched atop it, searching for her Aura, seeking to snuff out the last piece of light in the darkness the Grimm had spread to Kuroyuri. Lie reached over to embrace her, using his Semblance to hide her away and protect her. They sat together in the dirt as another monstrous creature stomped past, perhaps admiring the handiwork left in its terrible wake.

Lie had stepped out from underneath that structure when he saw a little wooden hammer… a vendor had shown it to him earlier the same day when he was out shopping for a gift for his father. It probably wouldn't be much use in a fight, but it might've been enough to make a little girl push some of her fear away.

"Ren," Nora whispered to him, still extending her hands.

Lie handed her the tiny wooden mallet. _We'll keep each other safe._

He drove Storm Flower into her back. He kept apologizing over and over as he murdered his best friend… refusing to tarnish her memory by acknowledging she died at the hands of an assassin who hadn't slept in weeks. She died a warrior, he cried… because he was wholly unworthy of being the man who killed her.

Her hands were close to him now. She didn't usually hesitate to touch him… she hugged him the day they met.

She hugged him the day he killed her.

"Ren," she said again, her fingertips moving to the scar across his face, the one the anomaly inflicted on him…

"No," he whispered. "No, no, no… stay away!"

He stumbled backwards, crawling along the ground. He had to turn his attention to the anomaly; he had to complete his mission and return her to his mother. She would help him, she would make this ghost go away…

Nora continued to reach with a gentle hand. Lie's eyes pushed towards the gate, searching desperately for his way back, for the fulfillment of his mission and the promise kept to Salem… to the family he'd found after his conscience left him…

She was still wearing pink fingerless gloves. She hadn't changed very much…

She was still trying to reach out and embrace him after he'd killed her. She hadn't changed _at all_.

He didn't want to say her name. He didn't _deserve_ to say her name.

Those big blue eyes in front of him… he couldn't ignore her. He could feel her fingertips tracing on his nose. She wasn't a ghost. She wasn't some horrible manifestation of his conscience.

In this world he _hadn't_ been forced to kill her. In this world he'd somehow managed to resist the impulse and endured the nightmares. In this world he hadn't been weak enough to succumb.

No, that couldn't be, that wasn't right… he was a monster, always a monster, loved only by others turned into monsters like his mother…

Nora reached her other hand to the back of his head and drew him towards her. She was pulling him towards her, entrapping him a way far more effective than any of their weapons or Semblances could hope to. There was nothing quite so devastating as Nora reaching out for an embrace.

He tried desperately not to inhale and detect her scent. He needed no more reminders, but at any moment this would overwhelm him, and the mighty Spring Knight would be reduced to a blubbering mess…

In trying not to smell or see her Lie heard a crack like thunder. His eyes pushed past Nora's shoulder to the vault, as a swirling mass began to form…

The portal. The way back to Salem…

Lie wrenched himself free and reached for the anomaly on the ground. Nora called after him but he could ignore her now that she was no longer obstructing his path. He was finally going to complete his mission… he was _finally_ going home…

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Neo had remained in the garden for days without food, without drink, and resting only when she had no more energy to stand. She'd waited for the king and the tall Huntress to return for a long time, and was beginning to suspect they'd forgotten her. She was terrified she was going to die, but unable to move from the spot she'd been left.

The king and the Fall Knight had robbed her of the ability to do more than obey: she could not act on her own. She could only do as others bid. That was how they broke her of her loyalty to Roman and forced her into the Fall Knight's… service.

A sound from nearby drew her attention, but she could barely even move her eye to see the arrival. A trio of figures descended through the stone shaft the elevator lift had once occupied… a woman who seemed to have no trouble landing after a long descent, and a boy in green and a Faunus girl trailing down a long rope from the girl's weapon.

They rushed over to her, and Neo recognized two of them… the Spring Knight and the Huntress. But the Spring Knight's hair was so long… and hadn't he crossed through the portal to the other side?

The Spring Knight reached into his green coat and produced something… an axe wreathed in a few decaying brown vines. Neo's instincts made her wary he was about to harm her, but her body could not move from the spot to rescind from him if he should choose to attack.

Instead when he pressed the axe to her, he gently lay the flat of its blade to her forehead. The remaining vines withered away from the handle of the weapon as the last of the godly energy imbued into the relic was used to break the first enchantment Ozpin placed upon her with its power… restoring choice where it had once been taken away.

The Spring Knight tossed the axe to the ground once its purpose had been fulfilled, and Neo's free will returned to her. She had to gasp when she forgot to draw breath… it had been so long since she had to do it on her own.

Her first instinct was to flee before this dangerous man, but he quickly put his hands up to show her he was unarmed and did not mean to attack her. "Neo, I know you have no reason to want to help us now, but we still have need of your power. If you combine your efforts with Raven you can open the portal to the other side."

He was a fool if he thought she'd open that door again. The Fall Knight had gone to some other world and Neo would be only too happy to let him stay there, far from her.

But this boy –not the Spring Knight, but his doppelganger from the other side- _had_ freed her from the thrall she'd been placed under. If there was anyone in the world deserving of a favor…

And the tall Huntress Raven only wanted to follow after him and return home herself. The Faunus girl only to see things through. It'd mean investing energy she really didn't have to spare, but Neo was open to helping them, if only to return the kindness shown.

Raven cut a gash in reality with her Semblance, a portal that would lead to her brother Qrow. Neo took hold of the red and black, reaching out with her Semblance to trick the complicated energies before her into accepting the distortions she imposed, breaking one temporary illusion after another to pull the gate open…

* * *

 _The Vault of the Spring Maiden_

Lie pushed his way past Ruby and Yang when they tried to stop him and ran for the portal, knowing that once there was space enough for both of them to pass through he could be free from this, returned to his mother and to the life left behind…

…when on the other side of the swirling mass he saw…

…himself.

Pink eyes met. Lie looked at him, a few feet away, with no scar, longer hair and a new variation of the classic green combat gear…

The other him was surprised too. He'd been eager to pass through the portal, but now he stood still, taking in the features of Lie. They just stared at one another from across the vast distance contained in the small gap, frozen in time for a moment.

The other him… the one who _hadn't_ given in and become a monster…

There was a Faunus girl behind this other him, looking on in astonishment. And flanking them beside Neo… the other Raven Branwen, the one he captured before.

If he crossed over now he'd close the gate and strand Jaune on this side…

But if he _didn't_ cross he'd have to fend off enemies on multiple sides…

Nora was still reaching for him; calling his name. The Faunus girl eyed her with particular curiosity as Lie's doppelganger on the other side reached out towards her.

Lie whirled around, his old dagger in hand. He hadn't been brave enough to look her in the eye the first time he'd killed her…

…but then, he'd still had his conscience then.

Nora froze in place as Lie lunged towards her. He was burdened by the heavy weight of the anomaly in his other hand, thrown off-balance… and trying to stop his hand from trembling as he tried to kill her a second time.

Nora just waited for him. She didn't know to run from his attack. She'd never believed he'd hurt her.

Lie mumbled to himself: "I'm sorry…"

Tell a lie.

Nora's big blue eyes never once widened any larger. She still couldn't believe it, even as he was bearing down upon her.

Lie's dagger passed right through her. Lie looked down at his hand and the weapon he'd been wielding. How had she-?

He heard something drop beside him. The anomaly slipped through his fingers… no, _passed_ through his fingers and fell to the ground. Lie tried immediately to pick her up, only for his hand to pass through her again.

He whirled around and watched the other him emerging through the portal… and Lie looked down to see his body becoming increasingly intangible, Aura breaking over the surface of his skin.

"No," he whispered, looking on in horror as he tried to collect the anomaly from the ground. "No, no, no, no, no, no!"

He couldn't go back empty-handed, he couldn't fail his mother now, not when he was so close, not when he'd finally found the resolve… not now!

Lie dropped to his knees and clutched at his chest as his Aura spasmed across his body, shifting uncontrollably back and forth. Lie tried to reach with his free hand, unable to grasp Raven Branwen between his fingers.

Slipping away… all he'd worked for, all he'd traded away… he couldn't lose her now!

His Aura drained away as his other self pushed through the gap between worlds. Lie scratched and clawed to get _any_ sort of grip on the anomaly, only to fail again and again.

He looked up at Nora, watching him disappear… watching him vanish…

He reached his trembling hand up towards her, towards the same hand she'd reached out towards him… he very nearly found the tips of her fingers…

…and then found himself crouched on his knees in the garden of the Spring Maiden, while his other self landed on the stone ground before Nora and beside Raven Branwen. Nora rushed to embrace him, cradling his head to her shoulder.

And for Lie, his Aura shattered by the trauma of moving between worlds… the other Raven Branwen bore down on him with her boot and knocked him into the fertile soil. Before Lie had a chance to rebuld his Aura she kicked him again and knocked him out.

Raven moved to cut him with her blade, only for High Leader Blake Belladonna to intercede and dissuade her. Raven was _not_ happy to leave the man who captured her alive, but _did_ comply, leaving him to her and turning her attention to the swirling portal.

On the other side she saw… herself, lying on the stone floor. And beside her… Yang, and Summer's daughter Ruby Rose, tending to this other incarnation of her, coaxing her back to consciousness.

And beside her, holding the gate open, Neo peered across dimensions to see… her.

And more importantly, beside her…

Roman turned his gaze to the portal. He looked to and fro at them… two Neos locking their gaze with a single Roman between them.

* * *

 _Haven Academy, Entrance Hall_

Emerald was finally starting to regain ground. She had to get the better of the Schnee _now_ so she could intervene and help Mercury before he used up what energy he had left. The Fall Knight was completely occupied fighting against Jaune and Pyrrha and didn't seem particularly interested in helping them as he recklessly spewed fiery Aura about.

Fortunately, the Schnee wasted a lot of energy chasing after Emerald's illusions and was beginning to tire. All Emerald needed to do now was pick her spot and cut the girl down with her kama… because no matter how good her swordsmanship, she was opening herself to be flanked.

Emerald saw her moment and moved to ensnare Weiss in chain a second time, to bind her for the final blow…

…until a length of rope ensnared _her_ instead, as a weapon wrapped around Emerald's arms, pinning them down. The thief searched frantically for her assailant, looking all about for who'd managed to catch her unaware…

…only for Blake Belladonna to kick her from behind while she was momentarily prone, driving Emerald hard into the wooden floor. She tried to scamper away –even with her arms still pinned- and fall back to a safer location, only for Sun Wukong to intervene then and knock Emerald back with his staff, sending her crashing into one of the support columns, still ensnared in Blake's rope.

"Blake!" Weiss cried in surprise.

The cat Faunus turned her attention from Emerald and locked eyes with her (former) teammate. For a long moment they stared at each other.

"Say hello later!" Sun insisted. "Bad guys, remember? Or bad _girls,_ as the case may be!"

Blake and Weiss quickly snapped out of their trance and focused on Emerald. Behind them, Mercury was struck by Qrow's sword Harbinger and sent flying over their heads, crashing beside Emerald, his Aura flickering dangerously.

Qrow and Leo moved over to join the three, Qrow pointing back to the Fall Knight spitting fire everywhere. "We'll watch these two, help blondie with his better half!"

Weiss complied at once, with Blake and Sun a little slower to follow suit. Sun muttered to himself: "What was Jaune saying about a bad guy who looked just like him?"

The spitting of fiery Aura all throughout the room commanded their attention, but Blake's Faunus ears still managed to detect the sound of heavy, trudging footsteps behind them. She briefly glanced to the open academy doors and replied to Sun: "I think someone else was looking for someone fitting that description…"

Hazel stepped inside and focused his attention on the Fall Knight still trading blows with Jaune and Pyrrha. He crackled his knuckles and carefully rotated his neck, steeling himself for a fight.

Hazel wordlessly increased his pace, breaking into a full-on charge as he rushed towards the Fall Knight, rushing right past Jaune and Pyrrha. When his fist connected with the Fall Knight's chest, Hazel punched right through the fiery Aura and cracked the metal composing the blonde warrior's plate. The impact generated a small shockwave in the room, sending the Fall Knight flying backwards and into the rightmost staircase, cracking through the wood and obliterating a few steps.

"See what I mean about teamwork?" Jaune asked the Fall Knight as wood continued to topple over onto his head. "This is another example of it!"

The Fall Knight dredged himself up from the wrecked furniture, fuming, Aura still pulsing off his body in monstrous fiery torrents. He faced six adversaries now, including one he'd specifically sought to remove because of the threat he'd posed, and another he'd arrogantly allowed to live again and again…

The Fall Knight cried out in feral rage and moved to attack them all, only for Pyrrha to pull him forward at an even _faster_ rate, drawing him into Hazel's waiting fist. Before the Fall Knight could travel too far, Pyrrha pulled him right back, Jaune continuing to replenish her Aura to use her Semblance again and again.

Before the Fall Knight could crash again Pyrrha drew him back to Hazel's waiting fists. Blake, Weiss, and Sun started adding their fire, peppering away with Dust and bullets to extinguish as much of the fiery barrier as possible. Hazel's Semblance blocked out the pain of repeatedly punching into the fire, but he certainly appreciated hitting more flesh and bone than protective barrier.

The Fall Knight tried to find an escape, but somewhere between his anger and his inability to remove his armor plate, he ended up absorbing hit after hit without reprisal. Soon the flames stopped rushing off his body, retreating inwards to repair his wounded Aura and keep his powers locked within…

…Hazel punched again. He felt the Aura _break_ … break for the first time since Ozpin gave him this gift…

The Fall Knight felt the pain after Hazel's punches. He _heard_ bones crack. When Pyrrha finally stopped pinging him back and forth, he couldn't lift himself from the floor- only lie there struggling for breath.

He tried to call on his powers, on the half of the Fall Maiden's Aura he'd removed from Cinder in his world… but that power had never been his to wield. Only his own Aura regeneration had kept it bound to him, and now he could not push the fire out. Now it burned at _him_ from within. Now it rejected the body it wasn't meant to occupy.

The Fall Knight rolled back and forth in one spot on the ground, retching, crying out in pain. Pyrrha and Hazel drew some grim satisfaction watching him howl in agony.

But there were other matters that needed attending to. Pyrrha pointed to him and rallied the others. "We have to send him back while he's vulnerable."

"Or we could kill him," Hazel gruffly suggested. " _Not_ killing was _his_ mistake."

"I don't know if that'll repair the tear or not," Pyrrha quickly argued, pointing between Jaune and the Fall Knight. "There aren't meant to be two of them here and it can easily upset the balance further if we kill one of them in the world he's not supposed to be in."

"And what's to stop him from just coming back?" Weiss wondered. "What's to stop any of them from just doing this all again?"

"Me," Pyrrha firmly replied. "Once everyone's safely back to their own world, I'll close the gate and seal it for good."

* * *

 _The Vault of the Spring Maiden_

Raven heard her daughter calling her. Was she back from Beacon already? Had she decided to drop by the island for the weekend?

Then it all came rushing back to her as she saw Ruby sitting beside her, rousing her back to consciousness. Raven immediately moved to embrace her, then glanced around at the stones beneath them, the unfamiliar red-haired man nearby, and the swirling mass of energy before the vault. "Ruby…?"

"The Spring Knight's gone," Ruby told her with a reassuring smile. "Ren's back."

Raven looked past her to Lie Ren, still being squeezed by an ecstatic Nora, trying to find his way out to address her. "We got the portal open again using Rave- using _your_ powers. The Raven Branwen from our side is waiting for you to return… and she's quite eager to get back. I suspect she'll only be patient for so long."

Raven saw Yang standing before the portal, staring out at this _other_ Raven Branwen, this woman who mothered Yang instead of Ruby…

She accepted some help from Ruby in rising to her feet, looking at her mirror reflection standing on the other side of the portal. Yang glanced between them, and Raven realized –perhaps for the first time- how confused she must've been when they met at the bandit camp, or when they saw each other again in Mistral.

Raven saw the Spring Knight lying unconscious on the ground, a Faunus girl tending to him. She didn't seem particularly pleased to see Raven's attention on her, with her extra set of ears flattening against her head and her eyes narrowing… and Raven remembered her.

Of all the people who could've helped another incarnation of herself and her rival… it was the High Leader of the White Fang, the woman whose lover Raven killed. How life turned…

"Your daughter's on her way back to Patch," Ren informed her, drawing Raven's attention. "Pe- _we_ saved her from Salem's castle and brought her out. She was still asleep when I saw her last, but one of her teammates is with her. She's keeping her safe."

Ruby was… safe? Away from Salem's grasp?

Raven turned her attention to the Ruby standing beside her. It seemed so strange to think that the daughter she'd been fighting tooth and nail to protect… _wasn't_ the one before her now. _Her_ Ruby was waiting for her on the other side.

Ruby noticed Raven staring at her and did her best to smile. "Go," she encouraged. "I'm sure she'll be eager to see you."

Raven was eager to see her too. But thinking this girl standing before her, this beautiful rose was _not_ hers'…

Raven did her best not to let it show… any more than it had already. She did all she could to smile, but her red eyes became noticeably puffier as she tried to address Ruby. "Can I… can I hold my girl for a moment before I go?"

If her daughter was waiting for her, that was where Raven **had** to go. But this girl, this Ruby Rose…

She hadn't ever been Raven's daughter. That didn't make Raven want to hug her any less.

"Of course," Ruby assured her with a smile, opening her arms.

Raven reached slowly towards her, Yang and the other Raven looking on… before that second Raven whirled around and clashed her sword against four monstrous tendrils. The Faunus girl beside her drew her weapon and joined in the fray as a Seer struck at them…

"Look out!" Yang tried to warn them.

More Grimm stormed into the garden. In the stone vault on the other side, dozens of Beowolves, Creeps, and Ursa tumbled down through the stone shaft. Many were destroyed upon impact, but those not broken by the fall poured into the garden, surrounding Raven, Neo and Blake.

"Blake!" Ren called, still trying to recoup energy enough to stand.

Raven abandoned her plan to embrace Ruby and stood protectively before her as the Grimm continued to pour in. The Raven on the other side acquitted herself well against the horde, but she was quickly moving towards the exit, to abandon the position and leave the other two to be consumed.

"Mom, don't!" Yang shouted. "Don't leave them behind!"

But Raven didn't manage to make it, whether she'd heeded her daughter's request or not. The Seer entangled her in its tendrils, pulling her back before she could force her way to the portal. Blake was left trying to fight the masses of Grimm on her own, while Neo tried to hold the gate in place, looking anxiously at Roman on the other side.

Roman leveled Melodic Cudgel. "We have to help them. Come on."

"Wait, _Torchwick_?!" Ruby exclaimed –apparently having just noticed his presence- before quickly changing tack and focusing on the portal. "And Blake, too. Right. Right."

Ren finally managed to his feet. "Salem's trying to keep the portal open. We have to try and help Blake and the others and seal it shut."

"Salem's coming too?" Ruby asked in shock.

"Yes, because she has no other choice," Ren explained. "She's lost the silver eyes she needs to control the Grimm… on _her_ side. Which means… in order to get what she wants, she either has to chase after Ruby while half her forces are stuck in Atlas… or come over to _this_ side."

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Salem climbed on the back of a Nevermore, watching her forces continue their descent into the vault below Haven. From the Seer at her side, she saw Raven Branwen held in place and High Leader Belladonna quickly being overwhelmed by the numbers thrown at her. It gave Salem some delight to see the traitors punished after their gambit had failed. Now all that remained was for her to join the battle now that her vanguard had seized the portal.

Before she could command her Nevermore to depart, however, she faintly heard Ozpin mutter: "You're too late."

"For this world," Salem conceded. "But there is another waiting for me, dear Ozpin. Another I can rule over, just as I was meant to."

"And condemn another version of yourself to die instead," Ozpin noted. "Fitting, really. So like you to betray yourself…"

Salem knew time was of the essence and Ozpin could simply be distracting her. But there was some small chance the wizard still had a move left to play, some resource she'd yet to discern. "Are you any different? How many lives have you condemned by taking these men as your hosts?"

"Hopefully, just this one more," Ozpin mused. "Because if all goes well… my curse will finally have been broken." He coughed, blood dribbling down his chin. "I wish I could say the same of you… I truly do."

Salem's temper flared. She dismounted the Nevermore and reached down to grasp Ozpin's neck, her fingernail running over the blood of his chin, her cold fingers cutting into his lukewarm skin. "You really think you've finally atoned? You really think you're free now? My Grimm outnumber humanity now while they cower in Atlas."

"Even a single light in the dark is enough to give humanity hope," Ozpin smugly replied. "James, Weiss Schnee, Penny Polendina… they know what I took and what it cost them. But the rest of their kingdom saw the Grimm repelled and heroes made of those who held back the dark. It cost a great many lives –far more than I ever wanted- but without your grip the Grimm will be leaderless. And without an influx of negative emotions fewer will be born here in your desolate kingdom. The cost was high… but you have _lost_ , Salem."

"This world can enjoy its spoils while it has them," Salem allowed. "But the other is unprepared for what is to come."

Salem shoved him away and returned to her Nevermore. "Enjoy this victory, Ozpin. Enjoy this end you've earned… because I will go on, as I always have. I will survive as I always have."

"And for that…" Ozpin coughed, before carefully composing his speech, "…for that, my love, I am truly sorry. I wish I'd never done it."

For a moment, Salem recalled it. She remembered a life before, of a humble outcast living in squalor… but also of a woman happy to share in her passions with the man she fell in love with. How long had it been since that body rotted away? How long had it been since the witch in the wilderness ceased to be and the queen assumed her place?

Irrelevant now. That life was gone, and so too was the battle she fought with Ozpin when that love had been betrayed. The future beckoned… and she _had_ to seize it to avoid the same fate awaiting her lost lover.

Salem commanded the Nevermore to take flight. Ozpin watched the queen head off towards Mistral, towards her last desperate hope of saving herself and denying Ozpin his victory.

Ozpin opened his palm and looked down at the surface of his hand, trying to draw upon the power left within him. He stared at old, wracked skin… and no magic rising from within. Not what he'd taken back from Qrow, not what he'd hoarded in choosing not to aid Raven… it was all ebbing away, fading from him.

The magic was fading away just like the wizard…

Ozpin smiled and closed his eyes, his open palm still on the castle floor.


	21. Four Points of Light

**Chapter Twenty-One: Four Points of Light**

* * *

 _Vault of the Spring Maiden_

Neo didn't usually stop to admire her own appearance. When she had Roman in her life she devoted most of her attention to him, and felt a degree of comfort from his presence. When she'd lost him Neo hated the sight of herself, knowing she had diminished without his guiding hand. Seeing another _her_ in the swirling portal before them… seeing another her trying desperately to hold a gate in place even as Grimm bore down on the vault made her contemplate herself, a subject she didn't usually care to dwell on.

Neo thought on the weathered, malnourished look of this other Neo, even as she tried to keep using her Semblance to hold the portal open. Neo had done what she could to take better care of herself once she was in Roman's care, to be healthy and vibrant rather than starving and fearful. This girl had made the same change at one point, only to be beaten down again and to lose what had rebuilt her. Neo strongly suspected they'd had similar stories… a rise and fall all initiated and then divided by the same man.

Her eyes turned to Roman as he fixed on the Neo on the other side. She suspected he'd drawn the same conclusion, and when he looked back at her, she was able to confirm what she already suspected: he recognized the look of one Neo over another.

To the others gathered with them it probably seemed like a strange conclusion to draw. The two Ravens didn't look wildly different from one another –at least not to the extreme of the two Lie Rens- but they had very different words and actions to set them apart. The two Neos couldn't convey their thoughts clearly to anyone else… anyone but Roman Torchwick.

And this Roman Torchwick was _not_ her Roman Torchwick. And she was not his Neo.

Neo had been driven to kill Ruby Rose -and later turned her fury to Cinder Fall- to avenge Roman's death. Then Roman returned and saved her in her time of need, and Neo carried out her planned goal and rid the world of Cinder's cruelty alongside the person dearest to her, avenging his defeat rather than his demise.

But Roman helped because Neo needed him to, not out of any pursuit of vengeance. No doubt he'd have told her revenge wasn't worth pursuing unless there was some clear benefit (such as profit) rather than some vague, nebulous sense of satisfaction. After all, if Roman was still alive, what need was there for revenge?

Neo briefly wondered about Roman still being alive when she clashed with the Fall Knight… if he still existed in the other Remnant Salem's knights had come from. And now that she was not locked in battle, Neo could see her question had been answered.

She never thought she would be _sad_ to have Roman back. But here she was, looking at his fiery orange hair and his beautiful green eyes and _knowing_ what he was about to do… what he _had_ to do.

Ren was crying out to the others fighting the Grimm on the other side of the portal. Raven was trying to find a way to intervene and help them. They were all flashes, unwanted interruptions in Neo's thoughts she was eventually able to push aside as she focused on those green eyes.

Roman knelt down in front of her so they'd be at eye level. He reached up with a gloved hand to her cheek, wiping below her left eye with his thumb to brush away a tear Neo hadn't even realized was welling up. He'd always been good at covering her blind spots… even if this particular Roman hadn't actually been the one to do it.

She reached her hands to his shoulders, firmly planting them there and feeling muscle and bone beneath his handsome white coat. Neo knew she couldn't indulge too long, so she wanted to burn this image into her memory. She wanted to recall this moment whenever she needed to remember to be strong… because she was going to survive tonight, and whatever didn't kill her could only make her stronger.

And there'd be no pain quite like having her heart torn out. Nothing so trying as having Roman back in her life… and knowing he couldn't stay. She wanted him to, she'd probably have begged him to if she could only speak her wish… but if he did he'd condemn another Neo – _his_ Neo- to suffer, possibly even die.

She understood what it was to be Neo without Roman. She didn't wish that on anyone.

How Neo wished she could be selfish and ask him to stay. How she wished he'd never come to save her so she wouldn't have to know there was another world where Roman still lived and still protected Neo and gave her strength and comfort with his very presence.

Roman saw her falter. He pulled her close to him, pressing her close to his neck and shoulder and holding the back of her head, gently caressing her long hair and holding her to him for a long moment.

Only a moment… but it'd have to be enough. It was all she'd know of him again.

Neo had to be strong now. She gently withdrew from him and met his eye. Roman flashed her that winning smile and traced his index finger over her cheek one final time. Neo relaxed her grip on him and did her best to put on a brave face.

Roman stood up and turned his attention to the portal. He tipped his bowler at Ruby, Yang, and Raven and uttered a posh: " _Ladies_."

And then he thrust himself through the portal to the other side, recklessly –fearlessly- charging into danger to save his Neo just as he always had. He unleashed the fury of Melodic Cudgel, firing bursts into the hordes of Grimm and relieving some of the pressure Raven and Blake were under. He joined the fight alongside them, another Neo looking on from a universe away.

She did her best not to cry, only reaching her hand into the empty air after him.

She kept telling herself it had all been worth it to see him again.

She did her best to believe it.

* * *

 _Haven Academy, Entrance Hall_

Lionheart finished binding Emerald and Mercury before turning his attention outside, to the police ships landing and the citizens from Menagerie helping them collect the White Fang zealots and their leader Adam Taurus. He'd have to deal with facing the authorities soon… no doubt they'd want an explanation for all that happened tonight.

To say nothing of the explanation for what happened to so many of his kingdom's Huntsmen… and all that Lionheart had paid to save his own miserable skin when Salem demanded his compliance.

A problem for a better time, however, as Lionheart turned his attention to the unconscious Fall Knight. He hadn't thought Salem's forces could be bested…

And then he turned his attention to Hazel. He hadn't expected any of her lieutenants to switch sides, either…

Pyrrha Nikos turned to those gathered with her. "If the portal's open below we'll take this other Jaune back through it. But there may still be a battle going on below: is anyone hurt or incapacitated?"

"It won't make a difference," Hazel assured her with a grunt.

"Tell me now, guys," Jaune requested, waving his healing white hands in the air. "Because we're almost done."

No one seemed in need of any serious help. Qrow turned his attention to Pyrrha. "And if Cinder or the Spring Knight won out?"

"Then we throw everyone we can spare at them," Pyrrha answered. She pointedly glanced back at Mercury and Emerald. "Those two…"

"We need at least two," Weiss explained. "Emerald's powers might trick us up otherwise."

"I'll stay," Blake offered. "My parents should be leading the police in at any moment."

"And I've been keeping an eye on her for months; I can do it a few more minutes," Sun added.

Pyrrha nodded. "Everyone else, get ready… it's a long way down."

"You made this trip before?" Qrow asked.

Pyrrha focused her attention on the broken lift. "It's a long story. I hope I'll get a chance to tell you later."

"Yeah, you and me both," Qrow agreed, shifting form and flying down as a corvid. Pyrrha followed after with Jaune hoisting up the Fall Knight at her back, Pyrrha's magnetic fields slowing and guiding their descent. Weiss followed down a steady line of glyphs, while Hazel seemed content to simply scrape along the rock path.

Lionheart watched them descend, having no immediately apparent way to follow down. Instead he took in the devastation of his academy's entrance hall: the destroyed stairs, the scorch marks on the floor, the cracks in the support beams.

And the two Faunus who came to aid them… one of them was a student of his'…

"So," Sun observed. "Still planning on starting classes again next semester?"

A rather notorious student at that. "Would it make a difference, Mr. Wukong?"

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Salem dismounted from the back of the Nevermore, watching from the perspective of her Seers still holding Raven Branwen in place. The Grimm flooding into the garden were meeting surprising amounts of resistance from High Leader Blake Belladonna and an orange-haired man. She had only the smaller specimens of newly-forged Grimm to work with, and so it didn't really surprise her that her forces were having little effect…

Still, with Raven Branwen indisposed, her Grimm would eventually get the better of two adversaries. They only needed to hold out until she arrived.

Salem stepped through the rubble towards the entrance to the vault. Her Grimm continued to pour into it, and Salem allowed the horde to carry her down into that darkness, towards the light waiting at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

 _Vault of the Spring Maiden_

Pyrrha arrived first with the Jaunes in tow, followed by Weiss at her back. Hazel crashed hard into the rocks with little difficulty, Qrow flapping in shortly after him. The six already gathered before the gate turned to notice the others, as Pyrrha focused her attention on what awaited them on the other side... and who was left to greet her.

A Ren without a scar stood in Nora's embrace. Ruby, Yang, and Raven gave her space to approach. Jaune set the body of the Fall Knight down on the rocky ground and stepped over to Neo, watching Roman's battle through the portal with a distant, forlorn expression.

"…he had to go back?" Jaune asked, before cursing himself for pointing out the obvious.

Neo nodded, still watching him fight off the Grimm.

Jaune reached a hand towards her shoulder but stopped just short of touching her. His comfort would be of no help now. He wasn't the one on her mind.

Pyrrha stepped towards the portal. "We have to send J- _the Fall Knight_ back through. We need to close the gate here and seal them back in their Remnant."

"Seal them?" Raven repeated. "You're going to cut off the way through?"

"If I can," Pyrrha confirmed. "Professor Ozpin took me to the relic to use its powers to enhance my Semblance: to find gaps in the magnetic field of the planet to move through… and to close."

She glanced over at Yang, surprised the blonde girl was still alive. From what Ozpin had told her, it was _Yang_ 's life that would make all the difference… that she had been the determining factor in dividing one Remnant from another.

Then her eye found Jaune, and the distortion he continued to cause with his extra weight widening the tear. He was supposed to go across, but hopefully… she truly wished sending his counterpart back home would solve the problem and he wouldn't have to make that trip.

 _If_ the Fall Knight could even be sent back.

"Let me through, please," Pyrrha requested, reaching out with her Semblance to lift the unconscious Fall Knight, to push him through the portal while it remained open. She wasn't eager to send him back when those across were still in such dire straits, but if she could finally be rid of him…

Blake Belladonna, the High Leader of the White Fang, and Roman Torchwick, the surprising defender of Vale, were fighting to hold the opening. She had to assist them if she could…

She stepped closer to the swirling vortex, only to stop in mid-motion when she saw something gray emerge in the sea of black Grimm. She dropped the unconscious Fall Knight as she observed Salem's approach, her power sapped away by fear.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune asked her.

All she could do was point.

The others followed her direction to see her approach, walking so slowly her black dress seemed to glide along the floor. The Grimm surrounding her thrashed wildly about in thoughtless frenzy, but their claws never once found her, their master.

The others were similarly taken aback… she wasn't the tallest woman they'd ever seen, easily dwarfed by some of the Grimm accompanying her. Yet her presence paralyzed them with fear, like some unknown instinct they'd never felt before.

Roman Torchwick wasn't disturbed by any such impediment. He fearlessly rushed in to battle this new arrival, recognizing her as somehow able to drive the Grimm. She didn't pay him much heed, waving her arm and sending a legion of Beowolves to attack him, pushing him aside with dismissive ease.

High Leader Blake attempted to attack her with Gambol Shroud, and an Ursa moved before its master, taking every bullet. The Grimm not focused on Roman converged on her attacking, in a disciplined pincer of twin columns, attacking the Faunus from either side.

She continued her steady walk as she easily incapacitated her foes, staring ahead at the portal. She stopped only long enough to look down at the unconscious form of the Spring Knight, leaning down and tracing her fingers over the boy's forehead, her cold expression briefly changing to one of… quiet disappointment.

"Is that…?" Ruby asked.

"Salem," Raven confirmed.

The gray-skinned woman turned back to the portal again, standing back to full height and stepping towards the swirling mass. "Seems you chose both, Raven Branwen. Allies… _and_ death."

The Raven beside her in the garden only glared at the queen as she struggled in the grip of the two Seers. She couldn't reach her blade to close the portal…

Pyrrha looked on as Salem drew closer, trying to summon the strength needed to repel her. She was so struck by fear she couldn't even move.

Raven, Hazel, and Neo moved into the fray, waiting with fists and blades drawn. Salem didn't seem remotely concerned with what stood in her way.

She pressed her hand to the portal… and pushed into the gap between worlds.

* * *

 _Salem's Keep_

The queen felt something strike her… something she hadn't experienced in a long time. Her Aura flickered over her body, her soul emerging from the dark sheen she'd buried it beneath.

That would not do. The Grimm might turn on her if they detected the light buried deep within. _Or_ if they sensed weakness in their master's fear returning to her. The negative emotion _and_ the light of her soul both exposed? Their own master would draw the Grimm like a Beacon.

How could this be happening…?

Haven. The knights from the other Remnant. Or Cinder and the relic. _Something_ had happened that now affected her, hundreds of kilometers away…

Salem couldn't sense her Grimm. The Seer sitting before her –the way she'd reach her followers- could see her, and its formless face had turned her way. She was no longer this beast's master; she couldn't tighten her grip on its leash and force it back into line. All it knew was that light had seeped into its master's domain, and fear had arrived with it.

Salem frantically clamored to her feet, Aura continuing to spread out her body. She couldn't lose her focus now, she had to fight whatever this was. If her soul left this vessel then she'd lose the eyes of her host: the power that forced the Grimm to her heel.

She had old magics at her disposal. She would not allow herself to vanish like this…

* * *

 _Vault of the Spring Maiden_

Salem's gray fingertips started to find their way in through the portal. Raven and Neo started slashing at them at once, but the black lines encircling her gray flesh moved to intercept the blades, pushing her assailants away.

Ren intervened then, trying to push back Salem with only his hand. "We have to stop her! If she remains on her side she'll lose her control over the Grimm anyway! If she makes it here, Ruby will be right in her sights!"

That was all the inspiration Yang needed: she leapt into the fight and fired concussive bursts from Ember Celica at Salem's emerging hand. The darkness continued to extend from her hand like spiky tendrils, taking the hits and striking the assailants away. Salem's entire right arm pushed through, more darkness following with her, rising off her body and pushing against the edges of the portal.

Nora moved to help Ren, striking repeatedly with Magnhild. Her first three hits struck and actually pushed Salem's arm back for a moment… before four of those dark lines extended and took hold of Nora's hammer, swinging her around and flinging her back, crashing into Neo and sending them both tumbling.

Hazel moved to intercede, placing his big fist in Salem's path and clenching his fingers against hers'. Salem repeatedly struck at his arm, cutting deep into his flesh with her dark tendrils. Jaune moved behind him to enhance the big man's Aura, trying to help his protective barrier regenerate… but Salem's hand continued to shattered each new shield of Aura constructed in her path,

"Pyrrha," Jaune whispered, trying to coax her out from her state of fear. "Come on, Pyr, we need you…"

Pyrrha knew she should've been able to respond. Her friends were in danger and she had the power to intervene… to make a difference even if it wasn't enough to _stop_ their foe. She had come to this world to stop Salem, to keep another Ruby Rose from ever falling into the queen's hands.

She'd seen such terrible things… her best friends corrupted by this witch's touch and Ozpin's machinations. This world wasn't so far gone… Salem hadn't amassed such terrifying power, and Ren and Jaune became the better people she'd always thought they would.

Pyrrha tried to reach for the swords on her back. She tried to reach out with her Semblance and push Salem's black tendrils away so Hazel could overpower her. Neither action ever managed to leave her, the sight of darkness drawing closer only making her feet of clay that much heavier.

She glanced back at the Fall Knight, unconscious on the ground. She had meant to return him to the world he belonged in…

"Jaune, Hazel, move!" Pyrrha instructed. It would be risky to move them out of Salem's path when they were the ones holding the witch at bay, but…

Jaune looked back at her as Pyrrha finally managed to use her Semblance, hoisting the unconscious Fall Knight up by his armor. He tugged Hazel back, and eventually the hulking man complied and released his grip on Salem's hand, rescinding exactly as the queen expected him to.

Pyrrha knew where the metal had to go: right into the gap. She didn't need to look at the darkness pouring out if she could bottle it back up.

She pushed with both hands, flinging the Fall Knight's body head first into Salem's hand. Pyrrha continued to concentrate, pushing him forward by the breastplate of his family's armor, driving him right into the queen's arm like a battering ram to force her hand back to the other side.

It worked for a few moments, Salem held at bay… until the black tendrils rising from her arm moved to push the other Jaune aside, allowing him to pass through the portal rather than impede Salem further. Pyrrha was so concentrated on pushing the Fall Knight _forward_ he sailed right past the queen and crashed into the rock wall beside the lift.

Salem refocused her attention on breaking through, and Yang and Ren rejoined the fray, trying to punch and cut her arm back. Yang was already exhausted from her fight with Mercury and Ren's Aura was still rebuilding itself from his own trip through the portal and they were easily batted away by Salem's black tendrils.

Ruby readied her scythe and tried to chop off Salem's hand at the wrist. Crescent Rose was caught just short of its target when Salem turned her hand, catching the heavy blade between her long fingers and holding it back, now pushing her arm through all the way up to Salem's shoulder.

Weiss pressed her Glyphs against Salem's fingers, trying to pull them back inside the portal... trying to push the queen's hand away from her partner's scythe.

Hazel pushed his fists to gray flesh, driving Salem's arm away. On the other side of the portal, Roman broke through the Beowolves surrounding him and fired repeatedly at Salem's back with Melodic Cudgel, trying to refocus her Aura away from the arm poking through to the other world.

Salem visibly sneered with annoyance and reached back with her left arm. Her Grimm did not visibly respond, their disciplined attack splintering as they swarmed around the battlefield in the garden, finally freeing Blake from the coordinated attack she'd been trapped within.

Jaune abandoned his plan to replenish Hazel's Aura and joined the brutish man in pushing at Salem's arm. Ren moved in alongside them, trying to overpower the queen of the Grimm with all of them driving her back.

Salem's black tendrils moved to attack them. Nora moved in, catching hold of two of the black masses and keeping them away from Ren. Yang followed suit when a pair went after Jaune, the five working together to push the arm back, while Ruby kept Salem's fingers at bay with Crescent Rose. Pyrrha gave the scythe an additional push against the metal, finally making noticeable progress in moving Salem backwards.

Roman and Blake attacked at her back when they could manage to keep the Grimm away. Salem was losing ground, more of her shoulder emerging back in the fragment apace, much to her chagrin. "You will not stop this!" she raged at the two behind her. " _Nothing_ can stop this!"

"All of you, get back!" Raven called on the other side, drawing her blade once more and focusing on her Semblance, thinking of who she could reach on the other side…

The others did as Raven asked and reluctantly disengaged as they pushed Salem's arm back through the portal. Salem was undeterred, pushing her hand right back with all the black mass encircling it. Raven cut right into the swirling mass, creating a _second_ gate of red and black right in the path of the first, and then a _third_ right after it, as she thought of Taiyang and Ruby on the other side...

Salem's arm pushed through one gate right into another, never feeling the air of the remnant apart she'd sought to reach. With no resistance to meet her, Salem's own momentum carried her forward into a place of black and red… a place with no apparent floor beneath her feet, just shades of dark bloody red and endless darkness.

Raven cut her portals shut before Salem could realize the deception. Salem reached back for the portal she'd tumbled into, only to find nothing but darkness to meet her hand.

Raven heard the queen cry out in rage. No doubt she'd find her way out if she delayed too long… but for the moment at least, Salem was her prisoner, and outside of either reality, for however long that could last.

The others looked on in surprise, but Raven had little time to humor them. She pointed towards the other Raven still bound by Seers, gesturing for Roman and Blake to intervene in some way. They managed to get the hint, cutting her free before the jellyfish Grimm could strangle her in their tentacles.

"What did you do…?" Pyrrha wondered.

"Held her back for a moment," Raven explained. "She won't be happy when I let her back out… and I'll have to get back to the remnant I know before she finds a way of doing so. So we'd better wrap things up here quickly."

"Right," Pyrrha agreed, turning her attention to Jaune. The gap didn't appear to be widening any, but it was still there, deep below and following his every step…

The Raven on the other side was moving towards the portal. The Raven still gathered with the others raised her palm to try and quell her, and the doppelganger stranded in the fragment apace seemed quelled enough to wait… though the look in her eyes suggested she was _quite_ impatient.

Raven turned her attention to Ruby. "I'm sorry we didn't have time for a proper farewell. I wish we could've-"

Before she had a chance to finish, Ruby rushed over and embraced her, tossing Crescent Rose to the ground. Raven was so taken aback by the sudden display of affection she was the one standing still, caught off guard just as Ruby had been when Raven rushed over to take hold of the girl she thought of as her daughter.

Raven responded just a bit faster... she'd been eagerly awaiting this hug, and reached down to pull Ruby close to her, resting her head atop the shorter girl's black and red locks, taking a precious few seconds to make it last.

Before she could close her eyes, Raven glanced over at Yang, awkwardly shuffling a few feet away and trying not to stare. Raven lifted one arm from Ruby's back and beckoned her forward, inviting the girl who'd embraced Raven at her lowest point to join them in this sweet parting.

Yang quickly took her up on it. Raven took hold of the two sisters and pressed her forehead to either side of theirs', finally closing her eyes and soaking up every second before she'd inevitably have to part from them…

"I love you," Raven whispered.

It wasn't fair of her to say; to put Ruby through it. But she couldn't be too angry with herself for uttering the words… hopefully it'd provide some comfort to the girls to hear the sentiment.

For Yang, it was something she never expected to hear Raven say.

Qrow stepped in to grasp her shoulder for a moment. Raven reluctantly removed her hand from Yang's back to squeeze her twin's fingers.

Finally she released her grip on the sisters and turned her attention back to the portal. There was another daughter waiting for her…

She stepped through. One Raven was slowly replaced by another, as they switched places between two worlds, their Aura flickering along the surface of their bodies. The Raven who'd embraced them gave one final look back as the portal swirled shut, watching another woman stand before Ruby and Yang…

They turned their attention to the Raven standing before them as her Aura slowly rebuilt itself, still flickering on the surface of her body. She glanced around at those assembled, trying to figure out what led to this strange alliance of disparate elements… before her eyes found Yang, seeing her daughter for the first time since Mountain Glenn. She took in the drastically changed appearance, her eyes stopping to stare at the prosthetic right arm mounted in place.

"Yang…" Raven murmured, eventually averting her eyes.

Yang blinked at the sight of this identical –but oddly unfamiliar- woman before her. Her affection for Raven Branwen lingered _just_ enough not to start an interrogation her mother was long overdue for… there'd be a better time. Instead, Yang greeted her with a very stiff, very formal: " _Mom._ "

Qrow was better at hiding his disappointment, trying to be sincerely appreciative to have his twin return… even if his perception of that was now _quite_ skewed. "Rae: you all right?"

He hoped seeing someone she trusted might be enough to set her mind at least _slightly_ at ease. But Raven took notice of Neo –the same girl she'd saved Yang from- and Hazel –one of Salem's most powerful lieutenants- and Pyrrha –a girl who should've been dead- and started to step backwards.

Raven's eyes briefly took notice of the relic in the sand swept 'untended garden'… and then swiveled back to all those gathered around her. If she _ever_ meant to acquire this thing that Ozpin and Salem fought over, there'd be a better time.

Instead she looked to the nearest unoccupied outcropping of rock and measured her rebuilding Aura… sensing if she had strength enough.

Qrow recognized her calculating look. "Raven, you don't have to-"

He was too late. He was always too late to dissuade her.

Raven cut a gap, thinking of another soul she'd bonded to. Raven stepped through the portal and sealed it before Qrow could get another word in.

"-yeah," Qrow grumbled. "That figures."

Yang sighed right along with him. She had to concede her mom was probably feeling vulnerable and surrounded, and might've understood the instinct to flee and find safety elsewhere. Yang did what she could not to begrudge her, to try and approach her mother with an open mind.

She had a new memory to think on now… something to think of other than unexplained abandonment.

She'd never see that mother again –just as it had been with Summer- but she could now think back on a moment Raven Branwen held her tightly and told Yang she was loved.

Yang turned her attention to Ruby and wrapped an arm over her little sister's shoulder. "We did it," she said, quickly pushing away any conflicting thoughts about her mother and focusing on the girl she'd crossed a continent to see again.

Ruby smiled back, nuzzling against Yang's shoulder. "We did it."

Oscar stepped past the other to the dusty entrance to the desert, the lamp sitting on its pedestal, glowing bright blue.

Nora moved over to hug Ren again, going on at length about how she'd never releasing her grip. Ren was solemn (more than usual anyway) but lightened up a little bit in his partner's embrace. Jaune finally turned his attention to Neo again, watching Oscar step into the desert.

"Are you going to be okay?" Jaune asked her.

Neo had no idea how to answer that question. She just stared ahead at this strange, hidden world.

Jaune had been wary of approaching her before. He thought… it seemed to work for Raven…

He hugged her from behind, approaching slowly so as not to catch her off guard. Neo looked up at the scraggly blonde head above her, and then down to the arm wrapping over her shoulder.

It wasn't the embrace she'd lost, but it was… something.

Damn this boy.

Pyrrha watched Jaune embrace Neo and did her best not to be bothered by it. She tried to focus on her task, searching for the tear created by a portal held open by Raven's Semblance… sewing the gap back together with a practiced hand.

Oscar rejoined the others, carrying the golden lamp in one hand. Weiss glanced down at it, unimpressed. "All that trouble… for this?"

"And a lot more before this is done, kids," Qrow grumbled, before slowly brightening. "But we did it. We got one over on Salem."

Hazel grunted, immediately drawing the others attention. "For now."

He fixed his gaze on Oscar. Oscar did his best to avert his eyes, but he knew it was a futile gesture: Hazel already recognized him as the boy he met at the train station… though if he'd known who else this boy actually was…

"My congratulations to Ozpin's latest recruits," Hazel noted. "How good he inspires such… _loyalty_."

"You gonna bring this up now?" Jaune asked.

Hazel sighed and shook his head. "Salem wanted that relic. This victory you're so proud of will cost you... and once again Ozpin has sent children to fight for his gains. I hope this is what you want to do with your lives… because they've definitely gotten shorter."

He lumbered back towards the lift shaft, leaving the others to exchange wary looks.

"Really brightens up a room, doesn't he?" Yang dryly observed.

"At least he's not throwing any more punches," Jaune replied.

"Come on," Qrow implored. "Let's let Leo know the good news."

* * *

 _Haven Academy, Entrance Hall_

Emerald remained defiant, even as she remained bound before the three Faunus holding her captive. "It's not over! Cinder will come back, she'll have the relic, and she'll stop all of you!"

The sound of scratching drew their attention. Though wary of taking their eyes off their prisoners, Lionheart, Blake, and Sun turned to the entrance to the vault as the broken lift was forced up through the shaft, carrying a heavy load upon it.

They were all cramped together, but they emerged… Hazel, stepping aside to reveal Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Ren, and Nora, then Qrow at his nieces' back with Oscar behind him, holding the lamp in hand. Pyrrha concentrated to dock the lift in place so everyone could safely step off from the surface.

Emerald searched for some sign… some hope of…

…she saw Neo step out, Jaune beside her, carrying Cinder's body in his arms…

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she realized what all had happened. She wanted to reach up to her head to try and contain the pain assailing her now, but her hands were still bound… all she could do was sob as Jaune Arc lay the body of her mistress on the wooden floor of Haven…

Lionheart saw the relic in Oscar's hand and moved over to Qrow and Oscar. "It's over, then? Salem's followers have been defeated?"

"For the most part," Qrow confirmed, subtly jerking his head at Hazel.

"I see," Lionheart confirmed. "One of her messengers is still in my office, waiting to hear the results. We should probably leave before she has the Seer force its way out."

"You have a way to talk to Salem?" Ren asked, wrenching himself free of Nora's grip to address the Haven headmaster.

Lionheart was taken aback at first, confused by the boy who looked identical to the knight who'd been serving Salem before, but managed to keep himself composed. "Yes. Though I can't imagine she'll want to hear from me after what befell her tonight…"

"I'd like to speak with her if I can," Ren requested.

Lionheart was confused why _anyone_ would want an audience with her… certainly anyone who'd just _opposed_ her and cost her so much tonight. "I'm not sure that's wise, young man."

"No, probably not," Ren conceded. "But there's something I'd like to try…" He then glanced over at Yang, locking eyes with Blake. "…and my friends may need a moment before we proceed with events anyway."

Qrow followed Ren's gaze between the girls and nodded. "Just be careful in there, kid. Salem's not gonna be happy about this…"

"I will not let her see me," Ren assured them. "But there is something I need her to hear."

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

Blake was highly reluctant to allow Raven's help, but did eventually acquiesce to her aiding in their climb back up from the vault. Roman and Neo had no such problem accepting the help, though they quickly got a read on the negative energy between the two. Once they were topside, Roman and Neo observed their niceties and went on their way. Blake herself had opted to remain nearby… there was someone she insisted she was waiting on.

When Raven went to unbind the seal, Blake stopped to ask her retreating back: "…do you regret it?"

Raven had time to think on it. "I regret not trying to find the answer myself. I don't know what kind of man he was… but clearly Ozpin favored you over him. And for _that_ at least, I am sorry."

Blake's only reply was a solemn nod. It wasn't forgiveness… but it was better than hatred enough to accept Salem's promises in pursuit of revenge.

Raven opened the portal somewhere in the rock shaft to the vault. Whatever magics the queen had, she had never once learned to fly.

Salem crashed hard into the rocks below, ignoring the pain of her fall and searching the vault for the portal… instead finding the bright garden and the nearly-empty lamp, only a few trickles of cool blue left within the golden frame.

And lying in the rocks were her two sons, her precious 'knights'… Lie was struggling to drag himself up, reaching towards her. "Mother…" he murmured, quickly averting his eyes when Salem turned to him. "Mother, I'm sorry… I failed you…"

Yes he had.

What few Grimm remained were drawn to Salem's wrath as he looked down at the two who'd failed her… who'd been unable to secure the future she wanted. Ursa and Beowolves moved to surround Lie as Salem thought on all that she had lost.

"Mother, no!" Lie protested. "Mother, please…!"

Ozpin had drained the gods' powers from the relics and shattered her army in Atlas. His students had stolen her silver eyes and then their counterparts in another remnant had prevented her from crossing. Salem's retribution would be terrible… even to those who'd pledged their eternal devotion.

"Mother…" Lie whispered as the Beowolves hoisted him up. "Please…"

It'd be so easy to kill him now. The Grimm were eager to carry out the order, to appease her wrath and feed on the boy's fear and sense of betrayal.

Betrayal…

Salem tried to tighten her grip. She knew she was becoming weaker, barely able to coax even these young ones into stepping away from a fresh meal…

It wouldn't be long until they descended into leaderless chaos again. She wouldn't be able to direct them to mass on Atlas… she wouldn't get the Relic of Creation and build her seat of power at last.

She'd just… die in the dark, once the Grimm knew they were finally free…

" _ **Please!**_ "

Salem tightened her grip and commanded the Grimm to take her back to the surface. They were not pleased to leave the boy behind, but they did as they had been bid… obeying even as they searched for some weakness in their master's leash.

Salem reached down to Lie and ran her fingers over the boy's forehead, thinking on the moments she'd shared with him… envisioned the family she'd once hoped for.

And then she turned from him and left with her Grimm force, leaving Lie alone in the vault, watching the life he'd sought crumble just as his mother's had before him.

* * *

 _Salem's Keep_

She kept expecting to hear back from Lionheart or Cinder or the knights. The Seer continuously projected an image back to her of Lionheart's office, and Salem was growing _quite_ impatient waiting for news. Something had affected her –dared reached into her house- and the queen would demand answers. She would _know_ what had occurred and who would suffer her wrath for disrupting her harmony.

When she heard the Seer inform her of a door opening and closing, Salem projected herself on the surface of her Grimm in Haven. "What happened?" she demanded.

Silence met her. There was _someone_ in the room; Salem could hear breathing and the shuffling of footsteps. But her Seer could detect nothing: no Aura for it to strike at, no life for it to extinguish.

Salem had allowed fear to infect her before and destabilize her control of the Grimm. She managed to hold her calm this time, to not be affected by this person invisible before her messenger. "..who are you?"

She saw two points of light in the dark: pink eyes looking back at her. "My name is Lie Ren. I believe you know it."

The Spring Knight. No… he didn't share the servile attitude. He was far more calm, rather than prostrating himself before his queen… this must've been the boy from this remnant; one of Ozpin's students and still fighting his failed crusade. "I see," Salem noted. "And what do you want, Lie Ren?"

"I wanted to tell you to stop this," Ren explained. "To turn back from what you've done and repent your actions. There may be some other way to save you from this… to break you from your curse and help you come back."

Salem scoffed. "And what makes you think I _need_ to be saved?"

Her Grimm was growing fearful. It couldn't see who was addressing its master, and was concerned it couldn't sense anything to hunt.

"Because I saw your defeat," Ren calmly explained. "I've spent the past few days with your counterpart, and I've learned a lot about you. I've learned what you fear. I've learned what you _expect_ and I've learned... well, I don't want you to meet the same end."

Salem was legitimately taken aback by how bold the boy was. "Whatever you _think_ you saw-"

"You see it too," Ren interjected. "You see it every time you close your eyes."

Salem was quiet for a moment. She felt something well within her... an emotion she didn't want the Grimm to sense.

"Darkness," Ren answered. "An endless darkness swallowing you up… a darkness you can't control, a darkness you can't escape… you fear it more and more every time you think about it."

"You think I'm afraid of the dark, boy?" Salem demanded.

"I think you wouldn't spend so much effort chasing after four points of light if you weren't," Ren calmly replied.

Salem ordered her Grimm to attack. The Seer did not see where to strike but swung its tendrils, wildly missing the boy. The messenger suffered a wound, one of its arms cut away by a dagger shining briefly in the dark office.

"I'm trying to tell you it _doesn't have to be this way_ ," Ren told her. "There's still time for you. There's something still there in you that _doesn't want_ this. There's something in you that can be better… just like there is for all of us."

Salem ordered the Seer to attack again. Her messenger resisted the command, self-preservation outweighing fear of Salem's wrath.

"If you ask for forgiveness, you may be able to find it," Ren assured her. "I know the best of us can fall… so it stands to reason the worst among us can pick themselves back up, if they try to. So please, Salem… don't disappear in the dark. Be better than you think you have to be."

Salem's wrath poured into her Seer, forcing it to attack. The boy's dagger found it again, cutting her messenger in two.

Salem faintly saw his pink eyes lingering in the darkness… more points of light to mock her… before fading away with the Seer's reflection of Haven far away.

Salem's wrath did not subside as she sat her crystal throne… and her _fear_ slowly crept back in, reminding her that the more darkness she surrounded herself with, the deeper it became.

Salem tried not to close her eyes.

* * *

 _Haven_

Nora rushed into the room. Ren was surprised how long it had taken her to intervene -considering how clingy she'd been just a few moments earlier- but had to concede she'd probably had just as long a day as himself. "Are you okay?" she frantically asked.

Ren gestured to the two halves of the Seer on the floor, fading away into nothing. He held up his father's old dagger, reminding her that he could protect himself... not that he objected to her rushing in on his behalf. "Yes, Nora," he assured her, dropping the gray sheen of his Semblance and allowing her to clearly see his soul's light as he stepped over to her.

Ren took the initiative to hug her himself. He didn't take the lead often enough, and wanted her to know how grateful he was to have her back, to return to a world where she was alive and well, and the reason he'd found peace after being haunted for so long by the very worst day of his life... to know that his nightmares had finally left him, and a bright spot followed within him everywhere to ensure it stayed far away.

Ren held her tightly and sincerely stated: "I'm okay."

Nora returned the embrace, squeezing her partner tightly. Ren held her to him and closed his eyes.


	22. Say Goodbye

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Say Goodbye**

* * *

 _Haven_

Yang stood on the railing overlooking the others gathering below: the Mistrali police collecting Emerald and Mercury by slowly disentangling them from the support beam, Qrow talking to Lionheart a few feet from them, Jaune talking to a somewhat distant Neo while Pyrrha looked on from afar, Ruby and Weiss catching up with Sun…

…and Blake near the entrance doors talking to three other Faunus, including a freckled girl and an older woman who looked a good deal like Blake herself, and an enormous man with a thick black beard. Yang tried not to fix her attention there, but she couldn't quite remove her eyes from the sight. Ruby was safe, Qrow was safe, Weiss was safe, it didn't seem like Haven was going to be destroyed tonight…

Blake was the only thing left she had to worry about. And really, Yang would _have_ to talk with her at some point, assuming she was sticking around. Yang didn't have all the details, but it seemed like Blake had rallied a whole Faunus army, patiently waiting for her outside. She clearly had her own stuff going on and didn't need Yang to complicate it with drama from Beacon, and Yang wasn't at all eager to give Blake time to offer an explanation for why she left. It wasn't a process she really wanted to go through.

But Ruby was slowly edging her way towards Blake, and Yang knew her sister didn't have reason to share in the same grudge. Ruby was probably disappointed in Blake too, but she hadn't been hurt like Yang had and would be quick to invite her friend back into the fold. The only reason Yang could think of for Ruby _not_ running over and introducing herself to Blake and her family (?) was because Yang was overlooking everything and Yang had already made her thoughts on Blake… well, maybe not _clear_ , but she'd very nearly lashed out when Ruby had brought Blake up to her once already.

What was she supposed to do? Just accept Blake was back now? Or that she'd moved on to do her own thing? Either way it meant moving on from Blake leaving her at Beacon and she… wasn't quite there yet.

In her peripheral vision Yang saw Nora descend the remaining staircase and move over to embrace Pyrrha with a massive glomp of a hug. Pyrrha wobbled unsteadily, surprised by the attack of affection, but quickly returned the embrace. Nora was certainly doing better now that she had Ren back…

Ren himself moved beside her on the railing, leaning against the wood to Yang's left. "I hoped that you'd have started your conversation by now," he observed. "I knew you'd need time."

"Yeah," was Yang's dismissive reply, before looking over at her friend. "Wait, _that's_ why you went off to deal with that Grimm in Lionheart's office? So Blake and I could talk?"

"It wasn't the only reason," Ren assured her. "But Blake was on my mind."

Yang took a moment to think on why that might be. Another Blake had been on the other side of the portal, in the other Remnant Ren had been stranded in. She came to their aid in fending off Salem…

Yang wasn't sure what to say to Ren about what he'd seen. Given how drastically different Ren himself had been in that other world, surely he could understand why whatever bond of experience he'd had with this other incarnation of Blake wouldn't translate to what Yang had gone through. But she wasn't so foolish as to think he wouldn't try: he was much more talkative these days.

"Blake helped me escape from Salem when I was being held prisoner," Ren explained. "She had issues with y- with Raven that she had to work through."

"And?" Yang wondered.

"And she thought she was too far gone," Ren continued. "She thought she couldn't make the change and be anything else –anything _more_ \- than she'd been before. She was so willing to remain where she was she went along with Salem's promises, even when she knew she was being lied to. Until she wasn't. Until someone _believed_ in her.

"I won't pretend to understand what you went through when she left," Ren acknowledged. "But clearly she has changed more than even she may realize. We've all grown in one way or another since Beacon, but sometimes we need someone else to point it out before we acknowledge it ourselves. Sometimes we need to know that there's someone to put their faith in us."

Yang had been waiting for that moment, when she awoke and found Blake at her side, still holding her left hand. If she'd had her partner waiting, the pain in her arm wouldn't have felt so heavy… Yang didn't think it linger as it did now.

Blake always talked about how it was in her nature to run away, and had been true to that nature at Beacon, running when her past came back to haunt her and any illusion of security was torn away by Cinder and Adam and the hordes of Grimm. When Yang didn't find Blake waiting beside her, she thought her partner had run away, never to be seen again.

Yet here she was, running _towards_ the fight… towards the people who terrified her the most. She'd clearly found something important enough to her that she was willing to face her own past, no matter how it hurt.

Yang looked down at Ruby again, clearly running out of different things to say to Sun as she edged closer to Blake. She hadn't leapt ahead, even though she clearly wanted to… she wanted Yang to go with her and try to heal the rift between her sister and her friend.

Yang thought of a Raven from another world stepping in to embrace her when she was feeling conflicted about Blake… when she hadn't been able to contain her sorrow and anger and bitterness and let Ruby see that pain etched on her face.

Her father took a long time, dwelling on his pain and his loss, unable to move on. It let Yang to pick up the pieces and step up to be the influence Ruby needed… and she now wore that responsibility as a badge of honor, pointing to all Ruby had accomplished and thinking she'd had some hand in her growing into the person she was.

She found… well, she hadn't found her mother, just a woman who loved Ruby like she did, and used that same positive influence to show affection for a girl she didn't know, and needed that comfort to move forward. Now the thought of chasing after Raven Branwen seemed like a distant memory, and Ruby was still in front of her, needing her to take a few more steps.

She'd been broadening her horizons lately with what she now believed to be possible. Was it really so hard to accept that she might be able to forgive Blake, after all the things she'd seen?

Maybe. Some wounds were easier to heal than others.

But a few days ago she hadn't been open to it at all. She'd only wanted to forget. Now… if nothing else, it seemed _possible_.

Yang smiled at Ren and removed herself from the railing, heading down the staircase. Ruby's eyes lit up as she saw Yang approaching, and Weiss seemed relieved she wouldn't have to rein in Ruby's impulsive tendencies herself.

As she headed to regroup with her friends, Yang passed by the police, transporting Mercury and Emerald outside, bound in irons. Emerald was sobbing to herself, despondent, but Mercury retained his defiant swagger. When he spotted Yang, he made a point to remind her: "You didn't _beat_ me, blondie."

Yang turned her attention to him, frowning. He was still so obsessed with that? He was still keeping score after he already proved his point? And after everything he lost, it still _mattered_ to him?

Yang knew about nursing a grudge. She knew about assuaging wounded pride.

She glanced briefly back up at Ren, thinking on another Blake and another Raven setting aside differences for a common good. She thought of _Roman Torchwick_ fighting alongside herself and her sister for the sake of a loved one. That same loved one, Neo, had given up on her pursuit of revenge before Yang had managed to put aside her hate.

She thought of Blake waiting near the entrance to the academy, and the possibility of _not_ hating and resenting her for the rest of her life… at the very least hurting a little less than constantly carrying her hate with her.

Yang finally met Mercury's eye again and dryly replied. "Congratulations."

Mercury sneered at her as the police led him away. He wasn't quite out of sight when Yang reached Ruby, Weiss, and Sun, the latter of whom was still going on about the others. "Mrs. B you've got to watch out for. She was always eager to hear about what Team RWBY got up to, and I swear I think she wants to _adopt_ you guys."

"Well, I _am_ in need of a new family," Weiss observed, in one of her trademark attempts at a joke… only without any timing or verve.

"Really?" Ruby wondered, the 'humor' lost on her. "Join ours' too! I'll bet our Dad would love you, wouldn't he, Yang?"

Yang quickly moved back into the groove, putting aside her thoughts of grudges for the moment to quickly offer a counterpoint. "Yeah, but she'll have to deal with Qrow too, you know."

"Oh, good point," Ruby mused, placing her index finger to her chin and looking contemplative. "But you like Zwei, right, Weiss? And you like me and Yang, so that's 4/5! Not bad, right?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, but suppressed a small smile with a subtle inclination of her head. Sun jerked his head towards Blake and her parents. "You ready to meet 'em?"

Yang looked across the entrance hall. She found Blake's amber eyes again, and took a deep breath. Yang nodded, reaching out to find Ruby's shoulder and putting on her best confident smile. "I'm ready."

* * *

Nearby, Qrow watched Lionheart submit himself to the same police hauling Emerald and Mercury away, not bound in handcuffs like the others, but very much in their custody just the same. Qrow grimly observed and asked: "You sure you wanna do this?"

"I _have_ to do this," Leo replied. "Someone has to be held accountable for what happened tonight, and whatever I may have done to appease my conscience, it came far too late. Huntsmen are dead because of me, and I _do_ have to answer for that."

"What will the council do when they find out?" Qrow asked.

"Dismiss me, if I'm lucky. Imprison me if I'm not," Leo mused. "Haven will need a new headmaster, but so long as the academy remains intact we can still see a new generation of Hunters. I only hope they don't throw their lives away fighting a pointless war with Atlas…"

"We won't let that happen," Qrow assured him.

"See that you don't," Leo pressed. "Remind James what we're fighting for. He may be surprised when he takes a moment to think… and he may even remember what he was fighting for before Beacon fell."

"It wasn't you, Leo. It wasn't _us_ ," Qrow argued. "It was Salem who tore us apart. I'll make sure he gets that."

"Just make sure this is worth it, Qrow," Leo requested.

Qrow could only nod as Lionheart submitted himself to the authorities, following after Mercury and Emerald, joining Cinder's former disciples and the White Fang to be imprisoned.

* * *

Oscar hadn't fought _too_ hard, even under Ozpin's influence, but what little part he'd played in the conflict had left him strained and exhausted. He was still holding the Relic of Knowledge, its blue light helping him stay awake as he waited for his heart to stop pounding and his legs to carry his weight again.

 _I must admit, this went much better than I expected,_ Ozpin observed. _Neo, Torchwick, even Hazel… I had dismissed there being hope for any of them. I had thought for sure we'd lose some good people today._

"Like that vision you were so worried about?" Oscar asked between deep breaths. "The one you invested so much of your magic to prevent?"

 _I saw that very moment, Oscar, when Miss Xiao Long would be killed. I thought it was the price I_ _ **needed**_ _to pay to ensure Miss Rose's safety. I was so desperate to give the silver-eyed warrior her protector I ruined another person's life to bring it about. And yet…_

Oscar glanced at Neo, still listening to Jaune with a patient smile.

… _somehow, knowing I was wrong is an even better feeling than being proven right._

"You think it was a mistake? Giving up so much power just to bring Yang into this?" Oscar wondered.

 _I said I was wrong-_ _ **not**_ _that I made a mistake. I do not regret this. The world is better for it to have Yang Xiao Long. I wish things could've been different for Raven Branwen… but the story of one person's victory is inevitably the story of another's defeat._

Oscar turned his attention to Yang, Ruby, and Weiss going to greet Blake Belladonna and her family. Ruby was so excited she hugged the cat Faunus Oscar presumed to be Blake's mother after only a few seconds of talking. Oscar couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Yeah, I guess… I guess there's reason to be optimistic. To have hope."

 _Hope is something I cannot understand sacrificing, even in this other world,_ Ozpin mused. _It is an invaluable gift, and an exception to a great many rules. How else could we create something from nothing?_

Oscar looked over at the relic. "Well…"

 _A tale for another time, Oscar, I assure you._

"Yeah," Oscar tiredly nodded. "No more secrets, Oz. Not from me and not from them."

 _No more secrets,_ Ozpin agreed. _And maybe a chance to make amends… to reunite what has been split in pieces by Salem's hand and by my mistakes._

"Ozpin?" Oscar wondered.

 _We have to get the lamp to Atlas. And we have to try and persuade James to hope again, as our friends have._

"Anyone else you want to bring back into the fold?" Oscar inquired.

Ozpin knew who he meant. He just didn't share Oscar's optimism.

 _I know it is not too late for her. But that gulf will take time to heal._

Oscar looked at Yang, taking her turn to greet Blake's mother, albeit with less of the reckless enthusiasm of her sister. "Well, you've got something important to her, don't you?"

 _All I have is goodwill and a chance to do better. And that is all I've ever needed._

* * *

 _Somewhere in Northern Anima_

Raven rematerialized, finding Vernal's Aura in one of their fallback locations, inside ancient ruins long gone unoccupied. Vernal immediately moved to greet her. "Raven! Where have you been? The tribe has been-"

Raven raised a hand to silence her bodyguard. Vernal quickly fell back into line. "Gather up some of the provisions we have and tell our best scouts to report to me immediately. I have a job for them."

"Raven?" Vernal curiously inquired.

"My brother Qrow has retrieved the relic from Haven," Raven explained. "Salem knows he has it- or will soon anyway. We don't have long to reach him first."

"And do what?" Vernal wondered. "Ally with him? Bring him back from exile?"

Raven shook her head. "Take the relic. His fight with Salem has escalated, and we can't count on neutrality to protect us." She jerked her head outside the ancient stone room. "Get me the scouts. Tell them to find his location and keep their tracks covered."

Vernal eventually nodded and carried out her chieftess's orders. Raven took a moment to look out at her remaining men, gathered tightly together with what they could scavenge and scrounge from their camp. It was a motley bunch, and a group rightly terrified of what brief glimpse of Ozpin's war with Salem had brought them.

Raven had seen them clash directly. A greater conlict was still to come… one that even the Spring Maiden might not survive with just the power she had.

And Qrow… he'd chosen his side. Raven would choose to survive.

She pulled on her mask and went down to address her demoralized followers, to prepare them for further hardship to come.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

He dragged himself into the ruins of Mistral a sobbing, sputtering mess. Fortunately, Blake had been waiting for him to emerge, though she approached him quietly and unarmed, dangerous as it may have been to do so.

"Leave me alone," he pleaded. "Let me die here alone. It's what I've earned. It's what I deserve."

Blake had no doubt he believed that. And a few days beforehand, she may well have obliged him the request. Letting a human die –even the Spring Knight- wouldn't cost her any sleep and wouldn't draw any of her sympathies.

Then a boy who looked just like this one took her hand in his and told her he believed in her. And she wondered what might happen if she tried.

Blake knelt beside him. Lie continued sobbing. "Don't you understand, I've failed! My mother has no more use for me; she's left me to die! She was all that I had… the only one who would take in a monster like me…"

Blake reached down, her fingers running through his black hair. Shorter than the Ren she'd known…

"My family disowned me for what I did," Blake replied. "Maybe they were right to do so, given the legacy I was trying to live up to. You killed someone you cared for; I killed a great many who didn't deserve it. I know from monsters."

Blake placed her forehead against his.

He wasn't the same Ren. But she didn't believe he was too far gone either. Not if the man she'd met had been anything to go by.

"And even monsters can come back," Blake assured him. "Even monsters can be forgiven."

It now fell to her to believe in someone else… to see good buried beneath a mask and contorted by another's words and wishes.

She could do that now. Someone took the time to teach her how.

* * *

 _Haven, Exterior_

"Are you sure we can't persuade you to stay?" Nora asked. "I mean, I'm not gonna pretend everybody's stoked on having you around, but we were all glad you helped with that thing with Salem and I _really_ wish I could've been there to see you give the evil Jaune the walloping."

Hazel grunted. "You're still working under Ozpin, fighting his battles for him. I don't want any more children to die for his crusade."

"Oh, come on!" Nora protested. "You really can't just work things out with Qrow? You're so angry at Ozpin you can't help us punch Salem's goons some more?"

"You… don't understand," Hazel gently suggested. "I know you think you're doing good, and I won't tell you to stop. But Ozpin… this war is all he has. He lets people die for him, if he thinks there's something worth trading their lives for."

"Is that what happened to you?" Jaune asked, Neo eyeing him curiously.

Hazel grunted. "If our paths cross again, maybe I'll tell you my reasons. But honestly… I'd prefer we not. Take my advice: stop fighting this war. It's cost you something already. You don't have to give up anything more."

"And _you_ do?" Jaune pressed him.

Hazel was quiet for a long time before he answered. "I don't have anything else left."

He lumbered past Neo and JNPR, away from the Huntsman academy and out into the night. "We were allies today. We still share a common enemy. But betraying Salem is _not_ the same as accepting help from Ozpin's followers."

He took one final look at Sun Wukong and Blake Belladonna, still inside the doors of the academy. He acknowledged them with a brief nod.

"Turn back," Hazel advised them. "Don't get caught up in this life. Or eventually it'll be all you have too."

* * *

Sun spotted Yang disengage, giving Weiss a chance to speak animatedly to Blake's parents about the political vacuum in the White Fang. This drew in Ilia to offer her opinion and expertise, and Ruby to repeatedly nod her head and pretend she understood what was going on. Sun then quietly used his tail to turn Blake around, moving her directly into Yang's path while he went to join the rest of the group discussing the boring politics. Yang and Blake spent several seconds standing awkwardly before each other while their monkey-tailed friend obscured them from others' vision.

Yang gestured outside. Blake nodded.

They moved out onto the courtyard and looked out at the various Faunus who'd accompanied the trip from Menagerie, quiet for several long and awkward seconds as they did their best not to stare at each other and not raise the thoughts each knew the other wanted to bring to the surface. Eventually, however…

"I'm sorry."

Yang looked over at Blake, her Faunus ears flat against her head and her eyes pointed to the ground. She wanted to meet Yang's eye but had difficulty getting there.

Maybe she just needed some encouragement. Maybe she just needed someone to reach out and hold her to find her strength.

Yang reached out with her left hand to find Blake's fingers. Blake's ears stood up straight as she looked at Yang's hand finding hers', eyes wide.

There was a lot Yang wanted to tell her. So many different conflicting messages, so many different ways this could all go.

She started with something that had always been true, even when Yang was at her lowest. "I missed you."

Blake just continued to stare, dumbfounded, before slowly curving her own fingers, squeezing Yang's hand with the same effort. "…I missed you too."

Ruby bounded over and tackle hugged both of them from behind, knocking both girls face first into the ground and squeezing at their backs. "Yay, Team RWBY's back together!" Weiss sighed and moved to pick them up, Ruby still attached to Yang and Blake, looking between each with a hopeful: "…right?"

Yang met Blake's eye again. This time, Blake didn't have any trouble looking back.

"Yeah," Yang said softly.

Ruby gestured for Weiss to join them, moving across from her, between Blake and Yang. The four girls locked their arms together and shared their embrace, falling quiet again.

* * *

Pyrrha kept glancing at Jaune and Neo. There was so much she wanted to tell him… so much she wanted to say, and more even than that, so much she wanted to see and hear coming from him as he basked in the thrill of victory and triumph. She'd gone so long without seeing his boundless enthusiasm she was coveting the chance to see it again.

But two things tempered her hand. Firstly, he was still trying to cheer up Neo after her loss, and Pyrrha could recognize how Jaune's friendship might be instrumental in helping someone feel welcome and accepted in a very unfamiliar environment.

Secondly, though the gap _was_ shrinking, Pyrrha couldn't seem to close it entirely, no matter how she tried to focus on it. Maybe it was simply because she was distracted watching Jaune interact with a pretty girl –play the knight in shining armor for someone else- but it was also possible that tear would remain and continue to link the two Remnants together, leaving them vulnerable to Salem or the knights' reprisal, if they ever discovered a way to locate the gap as Pyrrha had.

Nora noticed the concern written on Pyrrha's face and reached up to rest a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "Give him a minute to come around. There's no way I'm letting him forget you're here."

Pyrrha appreciated the thought. She'd be only too happy for that to be the case… for Jaune to dote on her, for her to fill his thoughts and maybe think of her as…

Nora filled her in on some of the details of her death in this world. Of what she'd been willing to sacrifice in the end… and what she'd done right before she gave up her life.

She was not the same Pyrrha Nikos. He was not the same Jaune Arc.

But if she could… if she could stay here, with him…

Nora turned her attention to Ren. It gave Pyrrha a chance to let her mind wander without worrying about her friend see her being too contemplative.

But it was all she thought of now. What _could_ be now that Salem's plans had been foiled and the Jaune Arc she'd wanted to see emerge stood just a few feet away from her now. If she could seal the gap, she fully intended to remain on this side of it… with him.

JNPR whole again… her friend restored to life, another unburdened by nightmares, and her partner realizing the potential she had always seen in him and finally able to answer to her feelings.

She would find the answer and be able to bottle Salem permanently. Then, when reality was locked behind a strong enough magnetic field she could finally have her faith rewarded.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

It took a long time for the Fall Knight to drag himself up from the Vault. Until his own Aura was completely rebuilt, he had to devote large portions of it to keeping the Maiden Aura contained within himself. It'd take a few hours before he was back to full strength, but he'd get there, and he'd be powerful again, as he was always meant to be.

He wasn't sure he should return to Salem's keep empty-handed, but he was in dire need of returning to vent his rage and frustration. The whole trip to the other side had been a bust, and he sought a means of dealing with that disappointment. He had a few particular targets in mind, since it seemed likely Neo was dead or Torchwick absconded with her. One more thing to be angry about… and one more thought to rid himself in when seeking help from those in his thrall.

"Well, looks like the Faunus girl was right," a familiar voice mused once Jaune pulled himself up from the rock shaft. "Good things really do come to those who wait."

Jaune normally liked to hear her voice: to listen to her coo at him and oblige his every whim, cheerful in her obedience. Now she sounded much too different… more like…

More like she'd been before.

Jaune reached for his sword, only to be struck by an Dust arrow in his wrist. Without his Aura replenished, the shot struck home and poked through his barrier, pinning his arm to the ground… and doling out considerable pain.

Jaune whirled his eyes around in search of his assailant and found her, accompanied by the other two. Emerald and Coco looked on with grim resolve as Cinder lowered her bow, smiling pleasantly at seeing her 'master' incapacitated.

"You," Jaune snarled. "How did you-"

"Ozpin removed the brainwashing you persuaded him to put us under," Cinder explained. "How very unfortunate for you."

Jaune tried to reach his sword with his other hand. Emerald struck with her kama, wrapping his arm in her chain and pinning down his other side. Jaune tried to rise, only for Coco to drive the spike of her heel into his chest, knocking all the wind out of him.

"We remember it all," Cinder explained to him. "Every twisted thing we were made to do, every humiliation you forced upon us. Now, if nothing else… the scales right themselves."

Jaune thought quickly, trying to decide on a threat that might inspire them to stop. "You think Salem will let you do this? You think she'll just let one of you steal my powers?"

"Oh, we're not going to _kill_ you," Coco clarified. "Just make sure you never hurt anyone again."

Jaune regained some of his confidence. "You really are foolish if you think you can stop me."

It quickly proved misplaced. "You're nothing without what Salem and Ozpin gave you," Cinder told him. "All we need do is rid you of your weapons."

"One," Emerald jostled his sword from his left hand.

"Two," Coco added, kicking his shield from his wrist.

Cinder stepped in, splitting her bow into twin swords composed of Dust, tapping below his waist with the flat of either blade. She smiled when she saw realization dawn in his eyes. " _Three_."

They kept him conscious long enough to see the trophy Cinder collected.

When they left their mutilated foe behind, Cinder glanced back at him, slowly bleeding out in the dirt. If he died, she may well have been the one to receive the power he'd stolen from her.

But she'd stolen it too. Salem promised Cinder would finally ascend to the power she'd coveted… only to snatch it away, discarding her when she was no longer useful.

She still wanted that power. But if she _did_ regain it…

Well, Salem may have been bested, but she wasn't _dead_ either. And Cinder owed her retribution too.

She turned her attention to Coco. Before Cinder considered finding further vengeance, first she'd give that one a ride home… an acknowledgment of their common bond and reward for playing her part in gaining their recompense.

And whatever happened next… would happen next.

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

Jaune saw her sitting up on the roof, looking out at the city and the full moon overhead. Night was slowly fading, a few trickles of the sun rising in the east, but the city was still illuminated by moonlight. Jaune doubted anyone would be getting much sleep after the adrenaline high of the fight and the logistical concerns of the new people joining with them in the house and where everybody would be staying until morning finally reached them.

Jaune climbed up as best he could manage. He made such a racket Pyrrha spotted him pretty quickly, reaching out with her Semblance to help him up and seating her beside her. For a time they sat quietly, looking up at the moon, and then out over the city and its lights.

"I wondered when I'd be back here," Pyrrha mused, finally breaking her silence. "When I left for Beacon I knew it'd be a while before I saw my home again. When I'd heard Salem and Ozpin devastated it –on my side, I mean- I thought I'd never get to look out at the city like this. I thought it'd all just be broken down and swept away… it made it that much harder to leave Beacon behind and come to this new world."

Jaune listened quietly, Pyrrha still focused on the city lights. "I remember thinking: _I'd like to show them this_. I'd want to bring you and Ren and Nora to see my home in Mistral and know where I'd been before I came and found all of you. I kept thinking we would be together for four years, so _eventually_ we'd all find the time and come back here together and I could show you everything."

"Well…" Jaune began, "…what would you show me if you could?"

Pyrrha glanced around at the city, getting a good sense of her bearings. Then she reached out to find Jaune's shoulders, firmly planting her hands on either side of him and concentrating. Jaune felt a noticeable gust as something moved under his leg, and then found his feet dangling beneath him. He frantically glanced down as his body levitated up, carried by his heavy armor, supporting the weight of himself and Pyrrha. Hovering up in the air, he instinctively moved to take hold of her, his hands grasping her waist.

Pyrrha did what she could to hide her smile, but couldn't quite get there in time before Jaune noticed. She shyly averted her eyes, though quickly rebounded from there to turn her head out to a section of the city's middle rung, further down the mountain from the house Qrow rented. "That's where I came from. Right over there."

She was tempted to levitate them both over. Jaune might have to grip her tighter.

"I saw the posters for Haven Academy telling me the same thing over and over again: _be a hero_ ," Pyrrha explained. "My mother read stories to me about such things, and both my parents told me about Huntsmen and Huntresses and I just thought… I thought maybe I could become a hero if I became a Huntress."

"You did," Jaune assured her. "You absolutely did."

"I thought for sure I'd stay in Mistral and study at Haven," Pyrrha continued. "But when I thought about where else I might go in the world, where else people might need someone to save them –might need a _hero_ \- I thought about where else I could go to learn. I missed home the first few days I spent in Vale, I kept thinking I'd made a mistake and did nothing but wish I was back here… until I met you."

She reached a gloved hand up to his cheek. "I remember when you came up to me –not even to me, to Weiss- and didn't know who I was and you didn't treat me like a regional champion or a celebrity or a prize to be won or an asset to be courted… you just treated me the same as everyone else. And suddenly I felt more at home than I ever had before."

Jaune remembered similar words leaving her mouth before. "And I didn't get it at all," Jaune admitted. "You had to spell it out for me before I got it."

"Nora told me," Pyrrha assured him. "I'm really looking forward to seeing what you looked like wearing a dress."

Jaune chuckled to himself. "A promise is a promise."

"Yes," Pyrrha smiled briefly, before turning serious again. "And Nora _also_ told me about what happened to me at Beacon. About what I had to do in order to try and stop Cinder… and about how hard you fought to try and stop me, to convince me not to do it."

"I couldn't have stopped you," Jaune replied. "I mean… I would have if I could have, but I couldn't. You would never have let me convince you _not_ to try and be the hero."

"I don't know," Pyrrha mused. "I think there _is_ something I wanted more."

She drew one hand from his shoulder to caress his cheek. "I never thought we'd get here, even before I saw what Ozpin warped y- warped the other Jaune into. I always thought we'd be friends –we'd _stay_ friends- and tried to be content with that. I told myself it was enough, and that having you in my life would be okay."

Pyrrha's voice sped up slightly, her tone becoming more mumbling. "And I know that whatever happened here wouldn't necessarily have happened for me, if things had been different, and maybe you weren't prepared for-"

Jaune cut her off by lifting his own hand to the back of her head, pulling her in, no longer afraid she'd fling him away when he tried to get close, when he tried to embrace her, when he decided to-

Kiss her.

Pyrrha's green eyes widened. She had pictured this moment… but never thought it'd happen here, in Mistral, under a bright moon like this one. She never thought Jaune would take this step at all.

Pyrrha did her level best to maintain her grip on his armor to keep them both aloft. Eventually she managed to find a way to angle their descent back towards the roof, so she could stifle their fall and let them land gently back down in the world, after a few moments in the heavens above it.

Pyrrha's hand slid down behind his neck as she held to him, closing her eyes.

Far below them, Neo turned her head, unable to watch any longer.

* * *

While many of the others seemed like they'd stay up all night making introductions and exchanging information, Oscar had retired early, in deference to his inexperience leading to exhaustion. Ozpin and Oscar both had been quite eager to find time to rest, only for Hazel's departure to leave the old wizard feeling contemplative… and that extra mind working so much didn't help Oscar trying to find sleep.

 _You think we should've told him._

"Of course I do," Oscar replied. "He helped fight against Salem; you really think he'd just forget he did that and go right back to trying to kill you?"

 _Yes_ , Ozpin simply replied. _Such is the strength of his grudge. His hatred is the only thing keeping him going and the reason he was so willing to enter Salem's cabal. Those who join her rarely have anywhere else to go._

"Except maybe _with us_ ," Oscar suggested. "I mean, Ren and Nora don't have anywhere else they can be. Weiss doesn't have the support of her dad anymore. Qrow chose you over his friends in the bandit clan. You've already taken in plenty of people who'd be lost otherwise."

 _And I wish I could fix what has broken him,_ Ozpin acknowledged. _But for the moment the only solace I take in this is that he and Salem are at odds. For the moment, our foes are divided. For the moment, we have an opportunity to rob Salem of any advantage._

"And what do we do about Hazel? Just forget he helped us tonight?" Oscar asked.

 _I will never forget him, or what he has lost,_ Ozpin assured. _But so long as he is consumed by his need for vengeance, he is not ready to accept my help. He is certain his hatred is all he has left._

"I just… I want to believe that we can move past that, somehow," Oscar replied. "Start again, try things differently… whatever it takes to convince people to stop fighting each other and find a better way to solve their issues with each other. Jaune or Blake –or maybe even Roman Torchwick- managed to convince him to set his differences aside. That's _got_ to be a sign there's something in there worth saving."

 _I hope the day never comes that you lose that belief, Oscar. Perhaps we can find a better path for him…_

"For all of them," Oscar suggested.

 _Perhaps not_ _ **all**_ _._

* * *

 _Somewhere Outside Mistral_

The Grimm struck in force, barreling into the police transports and knocking them from the sky. The Mistral police were surprised to see the ships caught by Ursa on the ground rather than left to crash, the beasts dumping out the personnel. Beowolves moved in to cut them down, quickly demonstrating this surprising catch was _not_ an unexpected act of mercy, but a calculated tactic.

Grimm did not use such things. Their master, however…

Mercury was the only one still conscious to address the Seer as it floated over. It struck with its tendril to free him from his bindings, and Mercury turned his attention to Emerald, hoisting her up onto his shoulder. "What now?"

The surface of the Seer's face transformed to display Salem clearly to him, sitting on her crystal throne. "Bring the girl back here. I'll have need of you both for a different assignment… to track down Ozpin's band of students when they resurface again."

Her Seer floated past Mercury to drag Adam Taurus out from the wreckage of the police ship, callously leaving his group of White Fang soldiers to die somewhere in the smolder. "And in the meantime, we must reestablish our control of the White Fang and gain a foothold here in Mistral."

The Seer hoisted up the unconscious bull Faunus and moved to rejoin Mercury. "No doubt Ozpin's followers will try to find a place to keep the relic out of my reach… and Atlas is a greater stronghold than Vale or Vacuo. And if they're going to Atlas, we must ensure the war Ironwood is so eager to bring about begins in earnest.

"We have lost this battle," Salem admitted. "But if there is one thing that I have always been certain of… it's that the war will go on."

* * *

 _Mistral, the House_

Pyrrha looked down at Jaune's Scroll, setting it to record. The only thing she could think to say was: "I'm sorry."

She had to say more than that. He _deserved_ to know more than that.

"I wish I didn't have to do this," Pyrrha said, her voice cracking already. "I wish I could just ignore what I know is happening or that there was nothing I could do to change it, but I can't and there is and… I have always done my duty."

Excuses. She should've just owned her decision.

"I have to know you're safe –that _all_ my friends are safe; that Nora is safe, that Ren is safe, that Ruby is safe… I _have_ to know that I completed the mission I crossed into this world for," Pyrrha admitted. "I wish I could stay. I want to stay more than anything I've _ever_ wanted to do."

That was true, at least.

"But I have to go back," Pyrrha concluded. "I'm the only one who can close the gap. I can't seal the tear any tighter in this world, and the only way I can think of to close the way through for good is to go back and seal it from the other side. I know it isn't right, I know it's not fair, but…"

Tears were swimming in her eyes now. She couldn't dare cry. She had to get through this.

"I love you," she blurted out. "I have to know that you're safe. I have to know that I did everything I could for you and everyone else important to me…"

Her hand was trembling. Her Semblance was warping the metal casing.

A hand reached over her own. Pyrrha whirled around, teary eyes finding a familiar face to greet her.

"We'll never be completely safe, Pyrrha," Ren told her, still holding his hand over hers'. "You'll worry no matter where you go; even if you _know_ the way is closed."

"You don't understand," Pyrrha argued. "Salem… or maybe someone worse than her… can find their way here, and there's something I can do to prevent that. How can I _not_ do that when I have the ability to?"

"I am not here to tell you what action to take," Ren assured her. "Your life is your own to do with as you wish.

"But, if you _are_ going back, I ask only that you say a _proper_ goodbye," Ren continued. "We all lost you once before. We all processed our grief once already. Tell us –all of us- why you need to go. They won't be happy to hear it… but they will understand why Pyrrha Nikos needs to do her duty."

Pyrrha's hand continued to tremble. The tears would not leave her. "I have to…"

"I know," Ren nodded. "But please just tell them before you go. Take the time to say goodbye properly."

She did owe them a proper goodbye. She owed _Jaune_ the chance to look her in the eye before she went.

 _If_ she _went…_

"If you stay," Ren interjected, "we will always be in danger, yes. But we will be together. I know this is not your world… but if you wish it to be, it can be your _home_."

Ren and Nora had decided Beacon was their home; they had nowhere else to go. Pyrrha had somewhere to return to, but no one waiting on the other side. Only her duty… only the need to finish a mission for the same man who took her team from her in the first place.

Or she could stay… she could…

She could be…

Ren said nothing more. He just relaxed his grip on Pyrrha's wrist and embraced her, showing _much_ more emotion and affection than she'd ever expected from Ren. And right when Pyrrha needed a hug.

Her finger moved over the screen of Jaune's Scroll. She could just stop this and move back through the gap… could just enjoy this last moment and fulfill her mission.

Or…

Pyrrha closed her eyes and let the Scroll slip from her hand.

While they were lost in thought, another slipped out into the night.

* * *

 _Morning_

Jaune reached his arm out from his bed. He found a gloved hand waiting for his own.

His eyes slowly drifted open. He smiled when he saw her waiting for him. "Hello."

She smiled back and leaned down to kiss him. Jaune reached up to hold her to him.

Pyrrha drew back a few moments later. "Hello again."

Jaune smiled and slid up from his bed, stepping outside. Team RWBY, still half-asleep after a late night of catching up, were all slumped together on the couch. Blake's mother was in the kitchen making tea, humming to herself, her husband seated nearby at the table, talking with Qrow. He could see Ren sleeping in his room, Nora sitting up on the bed beside him, just watching him sleep with a content smile. Oscar was emerging from his room, giving a deep yawn.

Jaune found Pyrrha's hand and led her outside to join the others, glancing around the front room. He peered over to the room Neo had been using, the door open but no sign of life.

"What is it?" Pyrrha wondered.

He knew already she was gone. Just like Hazel, just like Roman, just like Raven… not quite where she needed to be yet. He'd hoped she might've found what she'd been lacking and stayed with them, but…

Ruby was still alive, leaning against her teammates on the couch. So she hadn't decided to discard everything Jaune tried to teach her on the way out, if nothing else.

"Nothing," Jaune replied with a smile. "Just…"

He wrapped his other arm over Pyrrha's back. "Welcome home, Pyrrha."

* * *

 _South of Mistral_

Hazel stopped to rest at the wait station, looking up at the departure schedule. He was still nearly an hour from even the early train, so it'd give him time to rest and fix any lingering damage, in case any other travelers became wary of a giant brute of a man with Dust scars and dried blood stains.

It took him a moment to realize he wasn't alone. He had to admit the girl was stealthy. "I don't want to fight you."

She walked right up to him, an umbrella resting on her shoulder. She sat in the chair beside him, so short she barely came up past his waist. Hazel had to crouch slightly to look her in the eye. "I'm not going anywhere I want children to go. Don't do this."

Neo shook her head. Her mind was made up.

She hadn't wanted to leave Jaune, but Jaune had someone in his life now. Neo needed someone who had nothing left.

Someone like her.

"This will be dangerous," Hazel told her. "Salem… Ozpin… I'm going to destroy them both. I'm sure you have talent –you did kill Cinder, after all- but this is another matter entirely."

Neo understood why he'd be skeptical. But she came prepared.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. When she opened them again, fiery Aura encircled each of her mismatched eyes… Cinder's last contribution to Neo.

Hazel barely flinched. But he acquiesced. "Very well, then. If you want to help… just know this will be difficult and we will face this alone."

Neo cast him a coy smile.

She'd heard a similar promise once before, from someone just as fearless.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

She was tempted to go right to her, but decided to go to Patch first and wait. She trusted the promise that her daughter was on her way. She took a moment to greet her husband, and wait with him in his cabin, remembering the simple life and hoping more of it awaited her.

It was nearly sunset when her child finally arrived. She'd nearly lost her patience and decided to find her.

Penny Polendina carried her forward. Even though her child was much too big for it now, she insisted on carrying her in her arms. Penny took a moment to run her hand over a cheek before saluting, announcing her intention to return to Atlas and defend it as a guardian should, promising to return and see her friend and teammate again.

Taiyang waited for her to indulge a bit. She knew he was eager to hold their child too, but didn't want to interrupt the moment.

She ran a hand through her daughter's dark locks, squeezing red strands between two fingers. Ruby's big silver eyes slowly opened, and she smiled up at her mother, weakly reaching up to her mother's wrist. "Mom…"

Raven did her best not to cry. She squeezed her daughter's hand and leaned down to kiss her forehead, and her cheek, and her _other_ cheek, so glad to finally be reunited.

She had so many stories to tell her. But first… well, first she'd take a moment to be with her child again and hold her close. Raven pressed her forehead against her daughter's and finally let her tears loose, her gratitude breaking through and splashing down on her child's skin.

Raven drew back to look at her, smiling as she softly whispered: "My beautiful rose."


End file.
